Women pursuing MBA’s are at an all-time high – they make up 1/3 of all MBA candidates.By Angie Chang (Editor-in-Chief, Women 2.0) & Harrison Kratz (Community Manager, MBA@UNC)
In 2012, women continue to leave their mark in business in industries around the world. Not only are women starting companies at 1.5 times the national average, women are also excelling in the classroom at record numbers; women now hold more bachelors and graduate degrees than men.
Rather than having the conversation of having women in the workplace, the conversation has evolved into having women lead teams, companies, and ultimately drive results across the boards.
There is still much work to be done in ensuring that women are being granted the same opportunities to succeed as men, but notable leaders like Arianna Huffington, Sheryl Sandberg, Rachel Sklar and Sara Blakely help ignite this discussion and consistently advocate for the advancement of women everywhere.
On company boards around the world, and in the technology industry, there is a severe lack of leading ladies. The reasons for this current state vary, but the reasons on why women should be put in opportunities to lead and innovate are undeniable.
This infographic is meant to celebrate the progress that has been made, but also shed light on current trends that must be changed.
Some common themes in the conversation:
- Confidence: Media pioneer Arianna Huffington cites lack of confidence as a key deterrent to success for women. As mentioned in her quote below, Huffington says women need to be comfortable seeing themselves as qualified leaders and risk takers.Fact: 40% of large companies have no women on their boards and only 5% of startups are owned by women.
- Inclusivity: Thanks to leading ladies such as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and “Change the Ratio” blogger Rachel Sklar there is a distinct recognition of the need for female inclusivity and encouragement of women to support on another at all levels. When organizations actively position women as key stakeholders and change makers, the results often prove to be beneficial for all.
- Fact: Companies with more equalized gender distribution have 30 percent higher IPO’s.
- Knowledge: For innovators like Spanx founder Sara Blakely, it’s not just about what you know, but what you don’t know that can set you apart. According to Blakely, women can better position themselves greatly by turning what they don’t know into competitive advantages throughout their career.Fact: Women pursuing MBA’s are at an all-time high. Women now make up 1/3 of all MBA candidates.
Via MBA@UNC MBA Online & Women 2.0
This post was originally posted at Huffington Post.
About the writer: Angie Chang co-founded Women 2.0 in 2006. She currently serves as Editor-In-Chief of Women 2.0 and is working to mainstream women in high-growth, high-tech entrepreneurship. Previously, Angie held roles in product management and web UI design. In 2008, Angie launched Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners, asking that guys come as the “+1” for once. Angie holds a B.A. in English and Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. Follow her on Twitter at @thisgirlangie.
About the guest blogger: Harrison Kratz.is the Community Manager at MBA@UNC, a new initiative which allows students to receive their MBA online from the University of North Carolina from anywhere around the world. He also sticks to his entrepreneurial roots as the founder of the global social good campaign, Tweet Drive. Follow him on Twitter at @KratzPR.
