Editorial: Mass. needs a law to get women on public company boards
In this edition, for the third year in a row, Worcester Business Journal takes a deep dive into some of the thornier issues Central Massachusetts professional women face in the workplace, a follow up to News Editor Grant Welker’s The Boardroom Gap investigation into the lack of gender diversity among the region’s business leadership.
This year feels different, though, especially with the inclusion of reporter Sarah Connell’s “Disrespected” story on the sexual harassment women face in the workplace, an article made possible by seven brave women who put themselves and their experiences on the record. Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, nothing new, but now with so many people willing to give voice against these aggressions, the current level of awareness of the problem feels beyond any cultural moment. And awareness can lead to solutions, even if it feels like it’s taken far too long.
The stories by Welker (pages 8-13) and Connell (pages 14-18) expose a tangible level of inequality. With women making up 49% of the Worcester County workforce, it is absurd they hold just 34% of executive and board seats at 75 prominent Central Massachusetts business organizations. Even more absurd is the fact, still, too many women in professional settings are forced to choose between their self-respect and their career. These situations create power disparities, which can in turn make for toxic business environments, and reinforce the uneven playing field denying equal opportunities to all. While we hope the number of women who experience sexual harassment is way down from where it was in the past, it’s still out there regardless, and it’s a problem everyone must deal with.
In our original Boardroom Gap series in 2018, Welker wrote how companies with greater gender diversity in their leadership ranks tended to have higher profits and fewer issues with sexual harassment, according to a 2016 study by Swiss financial institution Credit Suisse. If we work to correct the power imbalance, harassment problems may decline.
The time may have come for Massachusetts to consider adopting a law similar to ones in California and Western Europe, either requiring or recommending public companies have a certain number of women on their boards of directors. Proposals like this have kicked around the Massachusetts legislature before and never really gained any popular support. While few want the government making personnel decisions at their businesses, the progress we’ve seen in getting equal representation of women in Central Mass. leadership positions has been too slow, and perhaps a legislative push can help bring the needed culture change. Starting with a non-binding resolution recommending more inclusion would be a positive first step; but if that fell short of spurning meaningful change, something with more teeth would be needed.
While it’s great to think we’ve made progress of late, the truth is we’ve got a long way to go. And we think change will not only be just, but good for business. Just ask the companies with a healthy number of women leaders.
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