Marie Wilson wants you to know that the world is lacking one important thing: women leaders.
Barnard’s Smart Women Lead club hosted Wilson on Thursday night. Wilson is president and co-founder of the White House Project, an organization she describes as “dedicated to getting women into all levels of … political activity in this country, ultimately including the White House.” Smart Women Lead was originally an offshoot of the White House Project in 2004.
Chelsea Zimmerman, BC ’10, and Rachel Wilkinson, BC ’10, co-presidents of SWL, introduced Wilson. The introduction was followed by a brief comment from Barnard president Debora Spar.
“We’re not trying to take the place of men … [but] trying to transform your options alongside them,” Wilson noted as she began her speech on the leadership gap. “The elevation of women does not necessitate the demotion of men,” she argued. “Young women should also be trained to make a change in the public sphere.”
The roots of the lack of female leadership in America lie in ignorance, Wilson said. “This country … believes that women are already in leadership. They actually believe we lead everywhere.” Wilson cited a study that will be issued in November, which examined 10 professional sectors over the course of six years to examine how workers felt about women in leadership positions. Only three sectors ranked below 90 percent in comfort levels with females in power: religion, sports, and the military. “I think it’s still guns, games, and God they’re still not sure about,” Wilson quipped.
What this country needs during this recession, she argued, is more women in power. Citing studies done at American University and Rutgers University, Wilson put forth the idea that “women who are in the state legislatures usually have to think outside the box because they have to have something new to bring to the table.” They cannot bring the same old politics to Capitol Hill, or they wouldn’t be elected. Instead they become creative and better-equipped to deal with unusual problems. Because they are held to higher standards, their modes of leadership are often more advanced than those of men, she said.
“By and large, women are more apt to work across lines of party, work across lines of difference, because we’ve had to do that to get things done,” Wilson said. She added that female legislators “are more likely to actually look at the effect” of the laws that are passed.
The process of change should begin by an increased number of women running for office, Wilson said. “We have to concentrate on leadership,” she said. “Somebody has to invite women in until we get enough of us.”
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