This whole post comes from reader Carol Morrison-
"Although this relates to areas other than the film industry, the point is valid -- until the ranks of leadership in every industry reflect the diversity of the country (and especially the diversity of college and professional grads), there is something other than meritocracy defining who gets the top jobs.
The question is, are the underprivileged unconsciously colluding with the privileged in buying into their formulas for success? Big house, fancy car, etc., in other words, employing the same toys to designate power? Do powerful women need to create their own power symbols and offer a different perspective on how power can express itself?"
This is from the Columbia Journal on Gender and Law (2007)
The statistics are sobering. In the United States, women are a majority of the electorate but hold only a quarter of upper-level state governmental positions and sixteen percent of congressional seats. (2) More than half of college graduates but less than a quarter of full professors and a fifth of college presidents are female. (3) In management, women account for about a third of M.B.A. classes, but only two percent of Fortune 500 CEOs, six percent of top earners, eight percent of top leadership positions, and sixteen percent of board directors and corporate officers. (4) In law, women constitute about half of new entrants to the profession, but less than a fifth of law firm partners and Fortune 500 general counsels, and less than a third of federal judges and law school deans. (5) The gap widens for women of color, who account for only about four percent of congressional legislators, three percent of full professors, and one to two percent of corporate officers, top earners, law firm partners, and general counsels. (6) The leadership pipeline plainly leaks; women are lost at every stage."Change begins with protest but expands by taking initiatives to create change.
Another point to add -- Why don't women create their own list of the top women in Hollywood and put up their own list of criteria for being at the top. Maybe begin by holding a debate among women leaders themselves as to what criteria should be used?
As long as women surrender to men the power to anoint them with recognition, they reinforce men's stature as the judges of, and power-givers to, women."
Awesome piece Carol- how about it- should we create our own list?
