Post date: Jan 26, 2013 9:38:50 PM
As the annual gathering of the global elite wraps up in Davos, the World Economic Forum again faces criticism for the lack of female participants. But progress is being made.
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 23-26, 2013) (REUTERS) - Once again the World Economic Forum has hosted a gathering of the global elite, and once again it has faced criticism for the lack of female representation.
"What is its excuse?" asked Britain's Guardian newspaper, in an opinion-piece referring disparagingly to the four-day event in Davos as a 'male-dominated schmoozefest'.More than 1,500 business leaders and up to 50 heads of state or government have taken part, with female participants outnumbered 5-1 by men.
But that gender split represents significant progress for the WEF, which in recent years has intensified efforts to increase female representation, including a quota system for the 100 'Strategic Partner' companies who are now required to ensure that at least one of every five delegates in Davos is female.
Saadia Zahidi, head of gender parity at the WEF, said the organisation faced an 'external glass ceiling' with only 3-percent of global Fortune 500 CEOs being women, and only a handful of female presidents and prime ministers from around the world. The quota system, and the inclusion of more female speakers in the WEF's programme, are intended to address that. So does the 'schmoozefest' still feel too male-dominated?
"Not really no. There are many interesting ladies - especially in the arts - and in every panel you find a good representation of females, so I didn't feel that at all," said Rima Machaalani Akl, a delegate attending from Greece, along with her husband.
Sue Riddlestone, a British delegate representing a a bioregional development group, said she felt very aware of the imbalance.
"Yeah, I often look at the stage and think 'hmm, two women, six men - let's have more women up there'. But Christine Lagarde, who was on the other day, she was fantastic. She wiped the floor with all the guys."
Along with Lagarde, an undoubted star of the Davos show, German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the most powerful leader in Europe - also took centre stage once again at this year's gathering.
Baroness Valerie Amos, another Davos veteran - first as a British minister and now as a senior United Nations official - said she had seen more and more women taking part over the years, but that the gender gap remained an issue.
"I'm very pleased to be here. I know a number of my female colleagues from the United Nations will be here. But I hope that it's a constant thing that WEF will be conscious of. It'll be great if it ever gets to 50-50. Let's see," she told Reuters.
Such a split still seems a long way off, but the WEF is keen to highlight the progress it has made.
"If we look at the last ten years, from 9-percent to 17-percent, we've managed to put in place quite some change, and the actual figures of global leadership have not actually changed as fast, so we've definitely made a lot of efforts. The second thing is of course to ensure that women are in visible speaking roles throughout the programme, and that number stands at 22-percent across the programme, so we're definitely going above the participation levels," said Zahidi.
"The other thing is of course targets for the youth community, so the Young Global Leaders, and the Global Shapers. And this year we have about 50-percent Global Shapers that are women, so we've finally reached parity in that community. And that's of course the next generation of leaders," she added.
So a generational shift may be coming. But in the meantime, expect 'Davos Man' to return to the Swiss resort again next year.