We interrupt our regular programming to highlight an excellent blog post by Carol Roth titled At the Business Table, Where Are the Ladies?

Roth talks about the dearth of women in high places, from corporate board rooms to the New York Times Best Seller list. Here’s an excerpt from her post:

So, where are the ladies and why are we not represented at the highest level of business?  There are certainly many women who should be at the table, not because they are women, but because they are deserving and are conspicuously still absent.   In a recent discussion with a high profile business publication, I was invited to become a contributor.  The senior editor named all of the other business contributors and absent me, they were all men. Despite the fact that 52% of all businesses are started by women currently, the business advice is being given by men.

The conversation that has ensued in the comments section is familiar. The “women’s issue” issue isn’t new.

In fact, I pointed that out in my wordy comment which I’ve pasted below.

1. This is the “same old question” that I know many of us have been asking since the early 90s. Back then, I couldn’t find any other women starting and running tech and new media companies and when they did step up and get a foot in the door, they certainly did not get the media coverage or industry recognition they deserved.

   Having seen this issue creep up in the conversations over and over and over, here’s my take:

   1. The Boys Network is alive and well. Sign posted: “No women allowed.” Anyone who says it doesn’t exist is either blind, lucky or has a great set of blinders and balls to match. Kudos to you, but don’t say it doesn’t exist just because it doesn’t for you.

   2. There are some awesome men who recognize this and extend a hand, an open door, a window of opportunity to women. Kudos to them. Seriously, GIVE KUDOS to them.

   3. There are people who still feel the need for the “Women’s Event” and the “Women’s Roundup,” and let’s not knock them. While some people feel it is “ghetto-izing women,” truth is in many cases it is the ONLY game in town and can catapult excellent women into well-deserved spotlights. Let them be there as stepping stones as long as they are still needed. Yes, if men put up a “Men Only” they’d be raked through the coals. They are only lightly chastised now and then for doing it all the time WITHOUT the sign.

   4. Many women are plagued with low self-esteem. I’m the first to admit I fall in this camp. I bring too many emotions into all aspects of business and slather them all with self-doubt so I stand in my own way. I’m always certain that everyone hates me and rarely feel I’m worthy of any opportunities. I struggle with this daily. Caring about what others think and feel, while it sounds so Kumbaya, can be a real trap and weakness in the business world.

   5. Societal roles can screw women. When I was single, I busted my ass to get a seat at the tables with the men and put in the long hours, endless self-promotion (if I didn’t do it, nobody else would) and traveled endlessly to be present where my industry colleagues were. I was often the only woman there (and the youngest – don’t get me started on ageism). But these days, I’m married, have a child, am in a remote location (for my husband’s job) and struggle every month to navigate getting out on the road to be where the business is happening. It’s a delicate dance to get away and still many times childcare falls on me to coordinate (I bring my 4 year old with me when possible).

   Bottom line: Believe in yourself. Believe in other women. Support one another. Give kudos to enlightened males who open big business doors for women. Enlighten those males who may not be thinking about it, but are smart enough to realize what women bring to the table. If you’re at the table, help bring another woman on board. Keep trying. Don’t give up. Don’t knock an opportunity – always turn it to your advantage. Be a mentor. Be a role model. Be kind and generous, but don’t hesitate to be strong. As strong as it takes

My commentary isn’t new either. I’ve blogged about the “women’s issue” recently here and here, for example. So have many others.

Some things have changed on the surface in the over 20 years that I’ve been in the workforce and the 15 years I’ve been starting and running businesses. But fundamentally, nah, things really haven’t changed that drastically, and I don’t think they will 10 or 20 years from now. This biases, discrepancies and discriminations are too deeply entrenched.

So what can we do about this? What are you doing about it?

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