Have you ever noticed when flicking through the newspaper, particularly the pages focused on business and politics, that the stories, pictures and quotations are dominated by men? Quite often the only women you see are in the advertisements. Yes, there are more men than women in these fields but that is not the only reason.
Over the last few years, I have interviewed a range of senior business and professional women about issues connected with work life balance. Most have been very interested and willing to speak candidly ‘on the record’. But not all of them. The exceptions were those occupying some of the most coveted, and traditionally male dominated positions, in the business world. The most notable were a group of women who had switched from executive careers in banking and finance to a portfolio of non-executive directorships with ASX 100 companies. They were all mothers. They had all made the change, because it afforded them greater autonomy and flexibility; but they opted not to speak out. The sentiment, which they seemed to share, was that any suggestion they became non-executives for family friendly reasons would not reflect well on their personal ‘brand’.
While disappointing, I can understand their reasons. Women are scarce in senior business circles and they are probably subject to much greater scrutiny than their male counterparts. But, as long as they remain silent about gender issues, they perpetuate the status quo, which is the very reason women are scarce.
I have since discovered I am in good company. Fiona Smith, the Work Space editor at The Australian Financial Review, has encountered the same reluctance. She believes there is a “culture of caution among high profile women” which “means, in practice, that women will refuse to comment on or off the record, more than men do. Which means that they leave the debate to men.”
Business journalist Adele Ferguson, who was recently named NSW Journalist of the Year, agrees. She recently attended a dinner put on by a group of businesswomen who challenged her to explain why their voices were lacking in the press. “It was a really good question that made me explore why it was the case. My conclusion was many women in senior management roles are very conservative and shy away from the media Men are more inclined to seize the opportunity to lift their profile and don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and comment.”
When, a few days later, Ferguson called two of the women present at the dinner wanting to quote them, one failed to return her call and the other made excuses. Ferguson believes their caution is misplaced. Has she ever had a women she quoted regret it or complain? “Never. The complete opposite in fact. They are always very happy with the feedback after the article has appeared.” Smith has heard some complaints from women, but no more than men. She believes women tend to overreact. “The men take negative feedback more in their stride. I often wonder if it has something to do with the coaching men get in sport, which is very direct and they have to learn to either accept it and learn from it, or reject it.”
The lack of women’s voices in the media is a real concern. There is no lack of female journalists aware of the need to canvas women’s points of view but according to Smith, women are “less likely to take direct phone calls from journalists and will ask for their PR representatives to guide the process for them or will take too long to decide what they want to say and miss the journalists’ deadlines” and “less likely to develop the sort of co-operative and trusting relationships that their male counterparts do with the media.”
Quite apart from being a disservice to women, and I would add the community more broadly, they deny themselves the chance to communicate as effectively as possible on behalf of the organisations they represent. If they do not participate either on or off the record, they can play no part in how an issue is presented.
There are some high profile females who use the media very well. Ann Sherry is one, actively promoting and speaking out on women’s issues. She has also successfully restored the brand of cruise operator, Carnival, following the very public inquest into the death of passenger, Diane Bramble, in 2007. Another is Naomi Simson, founder and CEO of Redballoon, an internet experiential gift retailer, which last year turned over roughly $50 million. You only have to read her blog or click on the Redballoon media centre webpage for proof. Not only is her business success a standout, she has won a host of awards, including being selected as a LinkedIn ‘Thought Leader’ with over 750,000 subscribers. Equally, you have to hand it to women like Sheryl Sandberg and Anne-Marie Slaughter. While they have both copped flak their careers are thriving.
These are women of influence; their personal and business success should encourage their silent counterparts. As Adele Ferguson says “We need new voices and new angles on women and issues, especially around gender equality”.
So this is a call to all women, but especially our most senior women in business and the professions; it is time to speak your learned minds.