One of my recent posts, “Why Social Media Means Big Opportunities for Women,” drew a handful of comments which suggested that the reason women use social media is because women are naturally “social” or “chatty.” I don’t believe that these kinds of ideas come close to answering the question of why women are such widespread users of social media.
I explain more about why women do use social media in my new article on Mashable on the subject: “For Women, Social Media is More Than ‘Girl Talk’.” The title (in case you’re wondering) is in response to those who can’t seem to accept that women’s interest in social media goes way beyond socializing.
If you Google the phrase “women in social media,” you’ll notice that there aren’t alot of substantive articles on the subject. There are a handful of business-related articles, a few really good research reports, and an overabundance of “best of” lists. I’ve been researching women in social media and my first post on the subject is now on Mashable: “Why Social Media Means Big Opportunities for Women.”
Multicultural women comprise 30% of the U.S. female population, but their concerns and needs are often invisible in the world of women’s diversity initiatives. Below are 6 ideas you can use to help your women’s initiative or group become more inclusive of the concerns and issues faced by multicultural women—women of African, Asian, Hispanic, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native American descent.
President Barack Obama’s order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls symbolized the increased importance of women’s issues on the national stage. But there remains a hidden legacy of racial and ethnic discrimination perpetuated by women against other women that must also be addressed.
Hints of this legacy surfaced late last year when the Miami Woman’s Club apologized for its history of discrimination against women of color.
Late last year, 20th Century Fox announced a sequel to its hit movie “Wall Street,” and in so doing revealed the only untarnished brand left in financial services—the old boys’ network. Whether virtuous, hard-working, dishonest, greedy, or half-hearted, men have and continue to dominate Wall Street.
There has been enough fiscal irresponsibility on the Street to know it will continue, just as we are likely to see in the “Wall Street” sequel. Since we do not trust political parties to resolve the problems they create, why do we continue to believe that a Wall Street dominated by men will resolve a financial crisis that originated there? To help prevent future meltdowns, what Wall Street needs is an increase in the influence of women. Now that is change I can believe in.
Double Outsiders is an award-winning look at the challenges facing professional multicultural women (women of African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American descent). It's for professional women and for diversity, inclusion, and HR practitioners.