UWLP Blog - Diversity & Inclusion

Did you miss this Fall Women's Leadership Forum? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Stories are the oldest form of passing on both knowledge and human experience. We see ourselves in each other and come to know something about ourselves that was often hidden prior to hearing someone’s story. We can grow with each other through stories.

Data on Utah women suggest that sexual minority women are economically disadvantaged with respect to three key areas: educational attainment, employment status, and household income.

When both men and women work together in leadership roles, organizations thrive. This holds true for government—and democratic governance processes in general—and it supports the call to reflect gender diversity at all levels.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across city agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

On September 18th, the Utah Women & Leadership Project hosted a Women’s Leadership Forum entitled “Exploring the Intersectionality of Race & Gender.” Read the recap here.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across state agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across state agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

Women whose professional expertise includes advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within organizations know from personal experience, in addition to their research and training, about the barriers women of color face, and how they can be addressed.

Religious and faith-based organizations are of vital importance to many individuals and families, and these leaders recognize the positive role they can have in the lives of Utah women and girls.

Though the role of a journalist is to report about the world objectively, the very nature of public media puts these professionals in a visible and trusted position. In choosing which stories to tell and how to tell them, reporters and producers naturally influence attitudes and beliefs. Media professionals can positively impact women and girls in the broader culture.

This idea sheet is based on a 2018 gathering of 65 leaders of women’s networks, groups, and organizations in Utah in many arenas. It provides an overview of opportunities to influence cultural attitudes in ways that are relevant in all settings, followed by specific ideas and solutions to advance and empower women and girls in more distinct environments.

Understanding that male engagement is critical in reducing workplace gender imbalances, these suggestions focus on what men can do in professional settings to create awareness, rethink systems, build capacity (in both women and men), foster developmental relationships, and advocate for necessary cultural change.

Studies continue to report that diverse and inclusive leadership teams produce more creative and innovative results. Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem solving.

Research clearly shows that CSR activities have a positive impact on an organization’s reputation, and as the authors of one report stated, “Companies viewed as ethical or good corporate citizens were more likely to have more women board directors than companies without those reputations.”

One retail company discovered that when their store employees matched the demographic profile of the community, it had increased sales. Since women constitute the majority of consumers today, companies are finding that it makes sense to have more female employees who better understand the needs of female consumers.

A series of recent studies has shown that organizations that have more women in management and on boards, on average, attain better financial results than do other organizations. Companies with the most women board directors out performed those with the least on return on sales.