Source: Forbes
In 2024, challenges continue to persist for women and people of color amidst dynamics of power, wealth, and ambition. Despite strides toward gender and racial equality over the past decade, including expanded global voting rights and increased representation in parliaments and businesses, recent years have seen a resurgence of anti-feminist and xenophobic rhetoric in global politics. These ideologies pose significant threats to the rights of marginalized individuals.
It is imperative to scrutinize the current societal structures and act against exclusionary political philosophies to advance human rights further.
Representation in Business and Politics - Why are we even here?
The concept of the glass ceiling encapsulates the pervasive yet often imperceptible barriers that obstruct women and marginalized groups from ascending to top-tier managerial and executive positions within organizations. These obstacles are not mere conjecture; they stem from entrenched biases within corporate cultures and practices. Women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds frequently encounter fewer opportunities for mentorship, sponsorship, and career advancement compared to their male counterparts. This lack of support translates into tangible disadvantages such as fewer promotions, smaller salary increases, and a diminished sense of belonging within the organization.
A striking manifestation of this barrier is the glass cliff phenomenon, documented in research like that from Harvard Business Review, This phenomenon highlights how women are often appointed to leadership roles during times of organizational crisis. Paradoxically, when male leaders have led organizations into turmoil, the choice of a female successor becomes more acceptable. This pattern suggests a complex interplay of gender dynamics and perceptions of leadership suitability under stress.
Moreover, studies indicate that the glass cliff tends to occur more frequently in organizations with limited or no history of female leadership. In these contexts, appointing a woman to a senior role during a crisis can be seen as both a symbolic gesture of change and an opportunity to leverage potentially different leadership qualities and approaches.
Beyond the corporate realm, the analogy of the glass cliff extends into politics and government. Women leaders often find themselves assuming leadership roles during times of significant national or regional challenge, facing heightened scrutiny and expectations compared to their male counterparts in similar circumstances.
Recognizing and addressing the dynamics of the glass ceiling and the glass cliff are crucial steps toward cultivating genuinely inclusive workplaces and societies. For things to change, organizations and policymakers must proactively dismantle systemic biases, promote equitable career opportunities, and establish robust support systems for aspiring leaders irrespective of gender or background. Only through concerted efforts to truly level the playing field can leadership roles authentically reflect talent, capability, and diverse perspectives.
Representation in Sports – Double standards?
Sports has long been heralded as a universal equalizer - somewhere where barriers can be broken and where people from different backgrounds can be united. Yet, a closer look reveals that the playing field is far from level, particularly for women and immigrants.
Immigrants contribute significantly to sports teams, often providing a competitive edge, yet are often having to “prove” their contributions. In football, over half of the UK's national football squad in 2020 had familial ties abroad. In the current 2024 UK national team more than 50% of the squad have at least one parent or grandparent born outside the UK. in 2018, 87% of France's World Cup-winning team are immigrants or children of immigrants; some of the best players in the Netherlands team are from a Suriname heritage. In the US, in 2020, foreign-born athletes made up 23% of the NBA and 29% of the MLB.
Yet, the acclaim for immigrant athletes appears to be conditional. They face scrutiny and systemic biases, highlighted starkly when their teams falter. Following England's defeat in the 2020 Euros against Italy, minority players like Rashford, Sancho, and Saka endured targeted racial abuse on social media after missing their penalties, despite their persistent contributions throughout the tournament. Similarly, Vinicius Jr has suffered horrible racial abuse in Spain, breaking down in tears during a press conference in March earlier this year. Eventually, three individuals were criminally convicted in June this year, jailed for 8 months and banned from attending football matches for 2 years – the first criminal conviction of its kind in Spain.
Female athletes encounter similar biases (lower pay, less media coverage and fewer sponsorship opportunities compared to their male counterparts) despite their many recent, significant achievements. The US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) have won 4 World Cup titles and consistently outperform the US men’s team, who have yet to win a major international tournament. However, prior to a historic settlement in 2022 after being sued by the women’s soccer team, female players earned 38% of what the men earned per game on average. Moreover, despite increased interest in watching women’s sports, these sports are still only designated circa 15% of total sports media coverage.
Female athletes from minority backgrounds face compounded challenges, navigating intersecting identities of gender and immigrant status. Serena Williams' experience at the French Open in 2018 exemplifies this struggle; her decision to wear a specialized catsuit (to help prevent recurring blood clots she developed following her recent difficult childbirth) was heavily criticized by the French Tennis Federation, underscoring insensitivity towards women's health needs and perpetuating unfair scrutiny of her appearance. Despite winning 23 Grand Slams and being considered one of the best tennis players in the world, Serena Williams has faced constant criticisms on her physical appearance all throughout her professional tennis career which white male tennis players simply do not and have not received.
While sports certainly has the potential to unite diverse backgrounds and cosmopolitan communities – the need to address entrenched biases and double standards is the only way to achieve true equality in sports.
Women and Immigrants suffering in wars
Today, the Geneva Academy counts and monitors 110 armed conflicts worldwide. Some have been covered in international media, others remain unknown to most of the world. Moreover, some of these conflicts have lasted for more than 50 years whilst others have started in more recent years.
The United Nations estimates that close to 90% of war casualties today are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, making them the most vulnerable in these circumstances. The European Institute of Gender Equality states that women in war-torn territories face physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors. This can include, but isn’t limited to, murder, torture, degrading treatment, mutilation, rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced sterilization.
Within the context of wars, the layers of protection (community, local laws, etc.) that women usually are entitled to are stripped away from them leading to a tremendous breakdown in law and order and ultimately normalizing violence against women.
Within the context of refugee camps, women still face multiple gender-based risks from sexual exploitation to human trafficking. A UNHCR report states that “in many refugee situations, particularly those involving the confinement of refugees in closed camps, traditional behavioral norms and restraints break down. [...] In certain camp situations, unaccompanied women and girls have been known to enter what are called ‘protection marriages’ in order to avoid sexual assault. The frustration of camp life can also lead to violence, including sexual abuse, within the family.”. This abuse sometimes even goes beyond male residents in camps and is also perpetrated, as has been evidenced, by national migration administration or humanitarian staff.
Although legislation has been passed at the international level to try and protect women in refugee camps, women still lack adequate access to justice, legal remedies, and reparations.
Women, Immigrants & microaggressions
Microaggression actions are subtle and often can seem minor. However, overtime they accumulate and are a constant reminder to the victims of their perceived 'otherness' and inferior status in society. In such, microaggressions contribute to creating a hostile environment for the victims leading to mental health issues, lowered job satisfaction and well-being.
Women often encounter microaggressions in professional settings and in society at large. These microaggressions often spring from sexist ways of thinking and perceiving women.
McKinsey found that within the workplace, some microaggressions include others commenting on their emotional state or appearance and being mistaken for someone more junior. Minoritized women (women of color, disabled women or women part of the LGBTQIA+ community) face the same microaggressions but at a higher frequency and with additional microaggressions such as others confusing them with someone else from the same background. These microaggressions often put into question their abilities, undermine their professional identity, and reinforce gender stereotypes.
In such, 78% of women who face microaggressions self-shield at work or adjust the way they look or act in an effort to protect themselves. Consequently, women are 3x more likely to think about quitting their jobs and 4x more likely to almost always be burned out.
Within society at large, microaggressions can take many different forms. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has mapped some of these out. Some examples include expecting women to be “attractive" or “likable”, mansplaining, talking down to or interrupting women while they are speaking. For minoritized women, examples include commenting on their hair, their body shape, or for them being “well-spoken” for someone of their ethnicity.These microaggressions will often result in silencing women, make them question their abilities and reduce their self-worth - ultimately culminating in negatively impacting a woman’s mental health.
Immigrants also face multiple microaggressions that question their legitimacy or language skills but also exuberates cultural stereotypes and utilizes exoticization. These contribute to creating an unwelcoming atmosphere by perpetuating exclusionary narratives which frame immigrants as outsiders and in turn impact immigrants’ integration and success in their new countries.
Some microaggressions towards immigrants include assuming second-generation immigrants are foreign-born and putting into question their language skills; assuming immigrants have a criminal status and/or are dangerous/deviant; mistaking an immigrant for a service worker.
Repeated exposure to microaggressions can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression amongst immigrants.
Translating this into numbers
Clearly in 2024, societal challenges persist for women and marginalized groups, yet the adage “necessity is the mother of all invention” rings true.
Forbes own Stuart Anderson in his article in 2022 and TechCrunch report that nearly 70% of US and UK unicorns are founded by “underdog founders” (immigrants, women, people of color) explaining that such individuals were “forced to develop a growth mindset, with values, work ethic and ambitions” in their formative years and tend to have “no fear of failure”. This demographic not only helps drive innovation but also delivers higher returns, as evidenced by Boston Consulting Group finding 19% higher innovation revenue in companies with diverse management teams, and McKinsey discovery of 30% higher investor returns upon exit from diverse (gender and ethnic) founding teams.
However, despite these successes, only 21% of immigrant and female founders receive funding from top VC firms, with a substantial gender and racial funding gap documented by the The World Economic Forum and McKinsey. This disparity reflects unconscious biases prevalent in VC decision-making, perpetuating missed opportunities and inhibiting inclusive economic growth.
In today's landscape, it is imperative to prioritize investment in marginalized founders who often face systemic barriers and inadequate funding. Supporting diverse perspectives and innovative ventures not only promotes equity but also unlocks untapped potential and fosters ground-breaking solutions with broad societal benefits and clearly makes money! - Canva (founded by Melanie Perkins), DoorDash (co-founded by Tony Xu), Nvidia (founded by Jensen Huang).
We are in 2024!
Despite myriad obstacles, women, immigrants, and minoritized individuals achieve remarkable success, often without any safety net. Their resilience and determination in surmounting systemic barriers underscore their hunger for success and indomitable will. Furthermore, these groups frequently outperform their counterparts, demonstrating exceptional ability and challenging the status quo.
Kamala Harris highlights the success minoritised individuals can achieve as she has now become the leading nominee to replace Joe Biden for the Democratic Party in the upcoming Presidential Elections in the United States. Being the first woman of color to potentially become president in the United States is a true game changer for representation at the highest level in politics. She has now given a new light of hope within the country, something which has been highlighted by the surge in fundraising for her campaign and the many volunteers signing up to help her work on her presidential race.
Their achievements highlight the urgency of addressing systemic biases and barriers. To advance as a society, we must create environments where all individuals, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or background, can succeed. Investment in and support for these diverse individuals are imperative, ensuring they feel empowered and have access to equal opportunities.
Focusing resources on supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds unlocks untapped potential, drives progress, and steers societal advancement positively. Prioritizing initiatives that support women, immigrant, and minority founders acts as a catalyst for societal change, challenging existing paradigms and fostering inclusive environments. This is a crucial step toward creating a more equitable world where every person can fulfill their potential.
Investing in diverse founders is not merely a moral imperative but a strategic decision yielding substantial societal dividends. Channeling resources toward innovative women, immigrants, and minoritized individuals lays the groundwork for a more inclusive future, strengthening community fabric and prioritizing equality.
As the General Partner of Goddess Gaia Ventures, our fund is dedicated to investing in startups created by diverse founders addressing health issues uniquely affecting women. We back founders based on merit, not background, committed to leading top ventures delivering optimal women's health outcomes. Our diverse investment team ensures all voices are heard and supported financially, through our profit arm at Goddess Gaia Ventures and our non-profit arm, Goddess Gaia DAF.
Investing in diverse founders unleashes latent potential. Supporting initiatives led by these founders paves the way for a more equitable world, enabling women, immigrants, and minoritized individuals to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. This approach enhances lives, strengthens communities and economies globally, and drives positive change for generations to come, not to mention yields huge profits too.
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By Priya Oberoi
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