In the first of a five-part series, a U of R professor explains why women in leadership is a issue that still needs plenty of attention.
In Part 1 of the Leading Women series, Leader-Post journalist Larissa Kurz spoke with Erica Carleton, an associate professor and RBC Women in Leadership Research Scholar at the University of Regina, to talk about the current state of gender equality and where Canada needs to go next.We deliver the local news you need in these turbulent times on weekdays at 3 p.m.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
True equity, meaning an equal share of men and women, remains “not even close,” said Erica Carleton, an associate professor at the University of Regina in a recent interview. In 2019, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission set an equity target for organizations in the province, looking for at least 47 per cent of workplaces to be comprised of women, spread out over all levels of employment and especially in underrepresented occupations.
Carleton said this is a pretty accurate, anecdotal snapshot of the state of women in leadership across the world. In most industries and career fields, gender representation tends to be relatively equal in lower and middle management roles. Carleton said analysis of the growth trend shows a “slow-moving” increase, one that hasn’t budged a whole lot.
There’s still a perception that “women don’t want to be leaders,” which Carleton said is “flippant,” unrealistic and just plain untrue.Article contentResearchers find that public opinion still thinks of attributes most often linked to successful leaders, like forcefulness and assertiveness, as “masculine.” On the opposite, “feminine” figures are meant to be kind, agreeable and considerate.
“They don’t want to confirm the stereotype, that women aren’t as good of leaders as men,” Carleton said. “They’re just thinking, ‘oh, we need to think outside the box on this, be creative and find a different solution,’” Carleton said.