Intrepid Women: Sense of Safety in My Own Skin

selfdefense.jpg by Kelley Vollmer (New York City)

Since moving to Manhattan, self defense had been something I’d always meant to learn, but I kept finding excuses as to why I couldn’t take a class: it didn’t fit into my schedule; I didn’t know which course to take; or it was just too expensive. I told myself that since I lived in a safe neighborhood and made smart choices, I was fine. But, routinely, I’d find myself in situations – from men walking by me with catcalls to walking by myself late at night after work – in which I would feel vulnerable and fearful. It was at those times that I would remind myself that I needed to take a self defense class.

One night last summer upped the ante for me. I responded to an ad on Craigslist for free concert tickets. Of course, I now recognize how supremely naive I was but, at the time, my only thought was that the tickets were third row center for one of my favorite bands. The guy even claimed to not be looking for a date, saying he was too old. Even though he gave me “uh-oh” feeling the moment I met him and kept his fists clenched throughout the evening (in addition to having a curious bulge near his ankle and asking inappropriate questions about my sexuality), I stuck out the concert because I didn’t want to be rude. At the end, I thanked him for his generosity and left or, rather, attempted to leave.

When I said I was heading to Brooklyn, he said he had a car and could drive me as he was going that way. When I said, “No, thanks I’ll take the subway,” he responded with, “I’ll go with you.” I was feeling very uncomfortable so I sprinted into the chaos that is Times Square after all the Broadway shows let out.

Without looking back, I ran into the subway and down to the train platform right as an express train was pulling up. I jumped onto the train and sat down in the only available seat in a packed car. As I was about to sigh with relief, I felt a presence. I discreetly looked up and saw the old man from the concert – he had followed me onto the train and was now hiding behind someone so I would not see him.

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Women On Their Way Awards

The Midlands Launch into International Women’s Month

In this new world of work, women do jump through hoops every day to get to where they want to be. They break down barriers and overcome challenges to get to the top in some very difficult circumstances. They keep going when it all gets tough. They have energy when others give up.

They don’t always see their achievements and they don’t always recognise their success. The young women coming up behind them need more role models.

This is why we created The WOW Awards; for recognising those women on the move, those who mobilise others and those who create change when it all feels too hard. Those on their way to the top! All together, it’s about celebrating and recognising the energy that women bring into work and their resolve to make a difference.

For more information and to book your place please go to: www.womenontheirway.co.uk

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Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET: A Workshop for Women Researchers in SET

This is one of a series of three career development events for women with qualifications in science, engineering and technology. They are offered free by the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET.

Career Development Planning – A Workshop for Women Researchers in SET

A FREE one-day workshop, organised by the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering & Technology (SET), and Vitae to support women research and teaching staff progressing their careers within science, engineering & technology departments.This course has been developed to address issues of particular relevance to women working in a SET academic environment including:

  • Maintaining an effective work-life balance
  • Presenting yourself through your CV and reputation
  • Confidence building and assertiveness
  • Preparing yourself for promotion/career break/return to work

The workshop will be facilitated by Janet Wilkinson, an experienced skills trainer for postgraduates and researchers and other female academics who have managed their careers successfully

To register for this event please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=c2WViexYfwz_2bEFAWsWK4Kg_3d_3d

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Survey: The global recession – is it hitting women harder?

To mark International Women’s Day on March 8th, PricewaterhouseCoopers are running a snap survey to assess first impressions of the impact of the global economic crisis on women’s careers and prospects, now and in the future.

Will the recession break the glass ceiling or reinforce it? Will it set equality back ten years, or put women on an equal footing for caring and pay responsibilities? Have women been more adversely affected by job cuts than men?

Or is the recession’s potential impact on women all just hype?

Click here to take the survey.

Please share your thoughts – and pass on the survey to your friends and colleagues. It will take no more than ten minutes to complete, and a report on the results will be found in the coming weeks at the PwC Gender Agenda blog.

The survey website will remain open until March 10th.

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Green Gables Haven: Filling Your Soul While Fighting Domestic Violence

change_1.gifby Andrea Newell (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

In 1991, Stephanie Fekkes was the only private sector female attorney in Barry County, Michigan. As more and more domestic cases came across her desk, she began gravitating toward family law. Women were more comfortable talking to another woman about their problems.

“I was helping people through a very difficult time in their lives and my passion for this work grew along the way,” Fekkes said. Her cases opened the doors to private problems not normally visible from the outside. The more domestic violence cases she saw in court, the more she realized there must be an even bigger, unreported problem out there, and it was apparent these women had no local resources.

The child of Dutch and German immigrants to the US, Fekkes says that it taught her to be thankful she grew up in a country full of opportunities. From a young age, she participated in service activities in her free time. After becoming a lawyer, she was one of the founding members of the Juvenile Drug Court program and the Law Day program that teaches fourth graders about the court system. She still serves as a member of the board and legal counsel for the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Barry County.

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Tech Womens Program: Mothers of Invention

Innovation is at the heart of every great problem solution and advances for humankind. With the current economic crisis, innovation is the answer doing more with less. What is true innovation and can you learn to “do it on demand”? Is this a skill you learn and, therefore, able to teach or is it an ability you are born with? Do women and men innovate differently? Is there more resistance to women innovators and if so, how can you make this work for you?

In this lively panel, women who have been successful innovators will share their experiences, focusing on their secrets for success. We will cover:

  • Necessary steps to maximize your ability to innovative
  • What all great innovators have in common
  • Creating an atmosphere that encourages innovation
  • Reducing resistance to innovation
  • Creating your “innovation plan”
  • Time for Q & A

Moderator: Laura Erkeneff

Laura, founder of Training for Techies, Inc, has over 20 years experience in leadership development, training, coaching, organization development, and building leadership programs for technical professionals at all levels of the organization.

Panelists:

Danielle Deibler, Sr. Engineering Manager, Adobe Systems

Cinda Voegtli, President & CEO, ProjectConnections.com

Francine Gordon, CEO, F Gordon Group

Schedule:

5:30 – 6:30 p.m Registration and Networking

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Program / Q & A

Register here

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The Struggle To Achieve Equity Partner Status

law2.jpgby Anna Collins, Esq. (Portland, Maine)

When the National Association of Women Lawyers released its annual survey at the end of last year, the statistics regarding women equity partners were sobering. Only 16% of equity partners are women. On average, only 15% of a firm’s highest governing committee members are women, and 15% of the national’s largest firms have no women on their highest governing committee. Furthermore, only 6% of firm managing partners are women. Since men earn almost $90,000 more than women at the equity level, ignoring the hurdles women face is not an option. When we spoke to women lawyers about the hurdles women face on the path to equity partnership, they inevitably identified three challenges: (1) a lack of role models or mentors; (2) the increasing importance of a book of business; (3) work-place bias.

Lack of Role Models

Christine Kirchner of Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Houston, believes a lack of role models is an important hurdle women lawyers face. “As an associate in our commercial litigation group,” she recalls “I was the only woman for a number of years and did not have anyone to serve as a mentor or ‘follow in their footsteps’ in building a practice, networking or developing business.”

“Additionally, as a younger woman,” she continues “I believe it is difficult to develop business when many of the decision makers within companies are still men and feel comfortable handing work to lawyers with whom they have developed a personal relationship over the years.” As a result of a lack of role models or mentors, Kirchner had to look to other women that practiced in the commercial litigation area that had been successful in Houston to develop her own “mentoring system” outside of the firm. Her initiative was instrumental to her development of her own book of business and ultimately becoming a shareholder at her firm.

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25 Influential Black Women in Business

by Liz O’Donnell (Boston)

The Network Journal, a business magazine which provides news and commentaries on the workplace and focuses predominantly on Africa-American professionals, recently announced its 2009 list of “25 Influential Black Women in Business.”

The twenty-five women will be honored during Women’s History Month at the Eleventh Annual 25 Influential Black Women in Business Awards luncheon March 12. The event will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Events like this one help to foster much-needed strategic networks for African-American business women. As we recently reported, the lack of these networks is often cited as one of the reasons there is still far too little diversity in executive suites and on corporate boards. As we reported last week, a recent poll conducted by The Executive Leadership Council showed that 31 percent of the 150 executives surveyed attribute advancement challenges for African-American women to weaker or less strategic networks available.

This year’s list of influential women includes two corporate attorneys: Sandra Scott, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Home Box Office, Inc., and Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Senior Chief Counsel – Litigation, MetLife. It also includes Vernã Myers, Esq., Principal, Vernã Myers Consulting Group, LLC. Ms. Myers’ Boston-based consulting company helps law firms and related organizations face the challenges of diversity and inclusion. Prior to starting her own business, Myers practiced corporate and real estate law for six years at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP and at Fitch, Wiley, Richlin & Tourse LLP.

Also among the recipients is Ci Ci Holloway, Managing Director, Diversity & Inclusion, for UBS Investment Bank. UBS offers programs in mentoring, work-life balance and managing a career comeback.

There are several women from the technology sector among this year’s honorees including Gayle Lanier, Vice President & General Manager, Knowledge Services, Nortel Networks; Elizabeth Williams, President & CEO, Roxbury Technology Corp.; and Kelly Chapman, Director, Diversity Recruiting, Microsoft Corp. Microsoft has an extensive program to reach out to potential employees from diverse backgrounds. The software giant partners with organizations like Catalyst, The Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs in its recruiting efforts.

“The women we are honoring on the eleventh year of these awards are, as usual, in the forefront of American leadership and symbolize the diversity and advancement that has occurred across industry lines,” The Network Journal Publisher and CEO Aziz Gueye Adetimirin said. “We salute them for achieving significant levels of success in their businesses and professional careers and for their myriad contributions to their community.”

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The Network & Affinity Leadership Congress

In corporate America’s war to attract and retain top talent, diversity is front and center. People of color, women, the LGBT and disabled communities have made huge strides in advancement by forming thousands of groups inside corporate America to work together for culture change and address the way companies do business with diverse markets. On February 25-26, in New York City, Diversity Best Practices and Working Mother Media are hosting the third annual Network and Affinity Leadership Congress (NALC). This congress brings together network and affinity group leaders from America’s top companies for leadership training, networking and to share best practices.

This is the ONLY event of its kind bringing together leaders from all types of network and affinity groups from all industry sectors to examine ways to increase their groups’ value to business.

Register here to learn about rates and discounts

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Bright Spots in the Financial Sector Job Market

iStock_000007622930XSmall[1]_1.jpgLast Friday, Forbes.com reported that 117,639 have been or are scheduled to be lost from 500 of the largest companies in the United States, including General Motors, which plans to cut 47,000 jobs; Caterpillar, which cut 22,000 jobs and PNC Financial Services Group, which plans to cut 5,800 jobs. Of course, the banking and financial services sector has been shedding jobs at an alarming rate since 2007. The banking crisis, which includes the failures of the investment banking giants and the concomitant mergers of large financial institutions, has contributed to a flooding of the tight job market with talent.

According to Steve Candland, Managing Partner of Advantage Integrated Talent Services, “generalist junior investment bankers” – people who are only a couple of years into career at professional level – are having the most difficult time in the current job market. “Also, on the capital market side, credit default swaps, which was a fast growing area just a year ago, has seen a steep drop as well.”

But is it all doom and gloom out there?

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