FEMALES!

[Jack Jones]

As a member of the opposite sex, I don’t have any anecdotes to offer; but here are some statistics that seem to suggest a discriminatory mindset. The good news is that they show that the mindset is lessening. However, I would use them to argue that things are not always as they seem.

Women in Corporate America
· In November 2002, women represent 15.7% of the corporate officers in America’s 500 largest companies. These percentages are up from 12.5% in 2000 and 8.7% in 1995.
· The number of women corporate officers have jumped to 2,140 out of 13,673. That’s up from 1,622 out of 12,495 corporate officers in 2000.
· The number of women corporate officers have jumped to 2,140 out of 13,673. That’s up from 1,622 out of 12,495 corporate officers in 2000.
· Although women are moving up, men still dominate the earnings race. Almost 95% or 2,141 of the top earning corporate officers are men, compared to only 188 or 5.2% of women top earners in the Fortune 500.

Earnings (Compares to each $1.00 earned by white male managers)
· Asian/other women: 67 cents
· White women: 59 cents
· African American women: 57 cents
· Hispanic women: 48 cents

You could look at those figures and conclude that men are not only greedy capitalist, but are also chauvinist pigs. However, the two would have to be mutually exclusive, because in any business the “bottom line” is everything. That is, the boards of directors could cut management cost in half in one fell swoop by replacing the white males. But they have not done that. Why not?

The obvious answer is that there’s difference between equal potential, equal opportunity, and equal ability. The statistics show that women have the potential. Affirmative Action works to offset discrimination toward equal opportunity, perhaps in their favor. So, while women have come a long way, they are not there yet; and that’s just a plain business fact.

OMG, I’ve just made an argument on the virtue of continuing Affirmative Action.