Despite all the talk of diversity and empowerment, women are still falling off corporate ladders like never before. Although women have been graduating in equal numbers to men for almost 40 years, they remain absent in the highest levels in public and private corporations. While individual women go about seeking work-life balance, board members and executives scratch their chins wondering why things are not changing for women.
What many leaders do not know
Academics have been studying these issues for years and know exactly why women are not advancing and what's really holding them back. They know that woman face significant barriers and biases, they know that many expensive diversity reports are collecting dust on shelves and they can't understand why their data remains hidden.
This book is a synthesis of this research, written in plain language. It not only describes the 20 main barriers that women face but also provides 20 specific strategies to be used by any organization wishing to advance women, including: don't fall for the pipeline theorystop telling women to lean innotice the absurd expectations we place on womendon't expect women to be mini-menreject outdated stereotypes
Unlike other books that urge women to work harder and smarter, this book focuses on the corporate playing field consisting of the corporate model, workplace cultures and out-dated mindsets.
If we really want women to succeed we must stop asking women to change and instead start tackling the very real barriers that are holding women back."
Mothers today feel like they are going absolutely crazy. They are exhausted, underpaid and under-appreciated. They feel like slaves to their kids, homes, husbands and careers - just like our mothers did. So what went wrong?
Most people blame mothers for this state of affairs. We tell women that motherhood is blissful and it's up to them to find work-life balance. We remind them that they chose to have children and can decide if they wish to have a career or not. But how free are their choices?
Did the suffragists and feminists fail mothers?
This book gets to the heart of the reasons why mothers are unhappy today and what's really holding them back. It shifts the blame from mothers, to hundreds of pressures that make it extraordinarily difficult for mothers to flourish. This book is an easy-to-read summary of the extensive academic research on motherhood. It not only describes the 15 main barriers that women face but also provides 15 practical strategies, including: stop asking mothers to choose career or familynever expect mothers to be martyrs to kidsmake childcare available, affordable and acceptablequestion the 24/7 work culture and the mommy penaltyadopt a partnership model of the family
Unlike other books that urge women to be super-moms, this book focuses on the whole institution of motherhood consisting of our traditional family model, our traditions and out-dated beliefs. Although motherhood may be madness, it need not be. This book provides a manifesto for anyone who wants mothers to be happy and free.
Maureen F. Fitzgerald, PhD, LLM, JD, BComm is a former lawyer, law professor and gender expert. She is also a mother and the author of twelve books. She practiced law for 20 years, has two law degrees, a business degree and a doctorate degree. As one of Canada's most articulate and outspoken advocates for social justice and equality she calls herself a maven on a mission."
ARE YOU FRAZZLED AND STRESSED?Join the millions of others benefitting from this scientifically proven method for calming your thoughts and emotions while living fully in the present moment. "Mindfulness Made Easy" is a collection of best practices based on the work of experts such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Pema ChOdrOn, and Daniel Siegel. A great introduction to mindfulness, it includes easy tools to reduce stress and create calm including how to: calm your "monkey mind"; relax by breathing deeply; eat mindfully; meditate without sitting on a pillow; scan your body and release tension. Select one each day or practice with others, share them with your friends and family, use them in the classroom or keep them in your office desk. As Fitzgerald says, "When people pay attention to their body, their thoughts and their emotions, they wake up to a totally new way of understanding themselves and begin interacting with the world in amazingly positive ways." PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK "This is a truly wonderful set of exercises for developing mindfulness. I am very impressed with your ability to bring together so many ideas and make it accessible... the format is great: What it is. How to do it. What to notice."-Darrell Joan Tomkins, professor emeritus and artist "If you only have five minutes a day like me, buy this book, try one exercise each day, and you will not only be calmer, but more awake to all of life "- Monica Beauregard, president, Bridgepoint Human Resources, Toronto "Maureen gives us a wonderful collection of practical mindfulness techniques. Each one makes you eager to discover the next one. As a teacher of meditation, this book will be a welcome recommendation to my students."-Wendy Quan, workplace meditation instructor & organizational change manager, www.TheCalmMonkey.com "Doctors, counsellors and educators can use these powerful tools personally and professionally. Maureen has made mindfulness accessible "-Susie Lang-Gould, MA, RCC, Director of Peace Portal Counselling Centre.
