A recent Social and Demographic Trends survey conducted by Pew Research Center revealed that nearly 70 percent of respondents believe that women and men make equally good leaders. That's progress!
But - if this high percentage thinks the sexes are equally qualified, why haven't more women made it to the highest rungs of corporate and political leadership?
Survey participants cited gender discrimination, resistance to change and a self-serving "old boys club" as reasons for the low number of women in top jobs. Some respondents also said that women's family responsibilities and their shortage of experience hold them back from the upper ranks of politics and business.
Many psychologists who have studied gender attitudes would not be surprised by Pew's findings.
Research at the University of Chicago and Harvard University indicates (that) gender biases residing in the deepest recesses of our minds can be even more difficult to overcome than racial bias. These biases can be much more subtle and ingrained, causing people to be unaware of why they feel a woman is not right for a corporate president, CEO position, or even U.S. President.
People often stereotype women as warm and nurturing and friendly, and these qualities don't jive with the picture we have of tough and strong leaders. It's difficult for many people to perceive women as both nice and competent. If she is friendly and nice, she isn't seen as intelligent and strong. If she is viewed as competent and strong, then she's a bitch. Ouch. A no-win situation, for women and for the companies and countries they could be leading successfully.
Where do you stand on this issue? What are your subtle biases? We all have them, and as I explain in the article linked below, stereotypes alone, in of themselves, are not the problem. It's the assumptions and false judgments we make from the stereotypes that cause the trouble.
