Blouses and bow-ties: joining forces for a thriving workplace
K: The word "housewife" – unless preceded by the words "real" or "desperate" – is dwindling from our generation’s vocabulary. Recent decades have seen women trading in full skirts and aprons for tailored pantsuits and pencil skirts, while replacing a child on each arm with a briefcase in one hand and a Blackberry in the other.
S: A few years ago, someone asked me "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" Bright-eyed and wide-smiled, my answer went something like this: "That's easy. I am going to be a Vice President of a company, maybe a CEO. I am going to get my MBA. I want a family, a nice home with a dog, and to practice yoga three times a week. I want to continue to be an avid volunteer and advocate for the issues I care about, a devoted traveler, and the PAC chair of my kids’ elementary school." My smile dimmed. The soccer mom, the corporate leader, the cultured traveler, the dedicated volunteer – is this even possible? From the picture I painted, striving for this ideal life sounded like a one-way ticket to the realm of impossible.
Let's look at the stats:
- 15 of the Fortune 500 companies are run by women
- According to Catalyst, 43.7% of the Canadian workforce is made up of women, while only 5.6% of FP500 top earners are women and an even smaller 3.5% of FP500 companies are run by women
As young women about to embark on our careers, here is our reality: we worry, stress, and dream about having it all.