Why The WLMP?

Despite legislation barring gender-based discrimination, a steady increase in educational achievement among women, and overwhelming public perception that women and men are equally qualified to be leaders, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, particularly at senior levels.

The gender leadership gap exists in business, on corporate boards, in the nonprofit sector, in education and religious institutions, and among elected officials.

Gender disparities in leadership undermine innovation, hamper organizational performance, and contribute to the stubborn pay gap between similarly qualified women and men, both nationally and in the state of Pennsylvania. 

Research shows that social diversity among groups results in greater innovation, organizational and financial performance, and higher quality research.

The WLMP directly addresses the need for gender diversity by empowering women to succeed in leadership spaces.

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Sources:

2020 Women on Boards. (2016). Gender Diversity Index: 2011–2015 Progress of Women Corporate Directors by Company Size, State and Sector. Jamaica Plains: MA: 2020 Women on Boards

AAUW. (2016). The Simple Truth about the Pay Gap: The Fall 2016 Edition, by C. Hill, K. Miller, K. Benson, & G. Handley. Washington, DC: Author.

AAUW. (2016b). Barriers and bias: The status of women in leadership, by C. Hill, K. Miller, K. Benson, & G. Handley. Washington, DC: Author.

Pew Research Center. (2015) Women and Leadership: Public Says Women are Equally Qualified, but Barriers Persist. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center.
https://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/historical/index.html

Philips, K.W. (2014). How diversity works. Scientific American 311 (4), 42-47.

U.S. Census Bureau. (nd). Educational Attainment.
https://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/historical/index.html