Happy Thursday!

Our calendar is filling up with amazing events. We have also incorporated a unique networking opportunity at the outset of each event so our members are connected beyond the event itself. We are excited for our economic outlook events with Dr. Lev Borodovsky, Danielle Di Martino Booth and a series of happy hours with the TXWSW board so you can get to know us better and give us your feedback. Check out our site for more details.

A recent Forbes article notes that while progress was made last year, women are still vastly underrepresented in the C-Suite. What holds most women back is a lack of direct P&L experience. Critical to improving the pipeline is getting more women into these roles, and for those of you early in your careers, it is important to seek out these responsibilities versus more traditional support roles. The full article can be found here.

A recent article exposed the hostility, yes, hostility women face in the economics profession. The American Economic Association surveyed more than 9,000 members and found a disturbing number of cases of harassment and sexual assault. More subtle forms of bias are also rampant in the profession with only 1 in 5 women satisfied with the overall climate in the field and nearly half the women saying they avoided speaking at a conference fearing harassment or disrespectful treatment. So, for those of you in the profession, just know that it is them, not you, and the best response is women supporting women in the field. The full article can be found here.

The EU is proposing new rules aimed at narrowing the 14.1% gender pay gap, namely making companies provide information on how men and women are paid. Bringing salary information out in the open will allow women to know if they are being paid fairly and give them negotiating leverage if they are not. The full article can be found here.

Finally, the last article brings up a hot topic with my mother and I. Maybe it is being in a house with a husband and sons, but I am definitely guilty of using the form of address ‘hey guys.’ Now when I am on a TXWSW board call, it is easy because we are all women. My mother has always taken great offense at being part of a mixed gender gathering and being address as ‘guy.’ While many think ‘guys’ is an colloquial way to address a group of people, many, my mother included feel it is a symbol of exclusion, especially in male dominated industries or companies. After reading the article, which can be found here, I have to conclude that my mother was right to feel slighted. Happily being in Texas, y’all is a nice inclusive alternative.

I would ask each of you to consider corporate sponsorship of TXWSW. Benefits include attendance at our flagship events and recognition for your firm.  And most importantly, you help us support the life-changing work of the Young Women’s Preparatory Network. To learn more about YWPN, you can find a short video here. To learn more and sponsorship, you may find our sponsor information here. Additionally, we would be happy to create a custom sponsorship for you. Please contact Bianca King at developmentdirector@txwsw.com

Kind regards

Christine