by Liz O’Donnell (Boston)
Who’s really keeping women out of the executive suite — the man in the boardroom or the man in the bedroom?
Women hold only 15 percent of all board seats and more than half (68 percent) of public corporations still have no women among their top compensated executives. Women are still earning, on average, only .78 cents for every dollar a man earns.
The men running companies certainly have some accountability. In addition to blatant discrimination such as pay inequity, there are also many micro inequities and hidden barriers in the workplace that affect women and challenge their opportunities for advancement. Advocates for working women say companies should adopt women-friendly policies such as mentoring programs, flexible schedules, better childcare and telecommuting programs. But all the flexibility in the word isn’t going to help if the men at home don’t adopt new policies as well.