Pledge to lift up women

At Saturday’s Women’s Expo, we rolled out the pledge to lift up women campaign. These pledges will be added to the rosieMADE banner, and travel to future events.

For those wondering why this pledge is relevant, statistically speaking, women have made substantial progress in the last century in obtaining rights and taking on leadership positions and authority. The truth of the matter is still alarming though. With women being over 50 percent of the adult population, and 46 percent of the workforce, they hold much fewer authority positions in both public and private sector than most would expect. Consider these statistics:

Women earn 77% of men’s earnings for the same jobs
Men hold 84% of board seats in the Fortune 500
For publically held companies, 97.4% of board chairmanships and 91.2% of lead directorships are male
Of the Fortune 500, men make up 95.2% of the CEOs
92% of State Governors are male, and almost half of all states have never had a female governor
88% of Mayors of the 100 largest cities are male
Even with a record-breaking number of women in politics, it still leaves 78% of senators and 75.5% of congress being male
Women-owned businesses earn less than 1% of the money spent on vendors by large corporations and governments
Women own 30% of privately-held businesses, but account for only 11% of sales and 13% of employment
Women-owned businesses start their firms with 64% of capital levels of businesses owned by men
Almost 92% of those listed to the 2012 Forbes Most Powerful People List were men

For a visual of these statistics and more, see The Statistics of Women

Women hold an estimated 80-85% of consumer spending power.  Women invest 90% of their income back into their households (worldwide), as opposed to men investing 30-40%. Where women control household income, the family’s health, nutrition and education improves at a faster rate.

While women have made huge strides, and contribute immensely to their families, communities and the workforce, the statistics do not support women being valued fully in leadership and authority roles. Women are buying consumer goods—but are these goods even created with women’s interests in mind? Looking at the majority of advertising campaigns on the marketplace, it is hard to believe these are truly created from a woman’s perspective!

Here are some of the amazing and insightful responses collected on Saturday!

I will set an example for my daughter–I am whole, I am complete!
I will help women achieve their goals in life. Health & Happiness!
I will live my best life!
I promise to be kind to the women around me! We need to stick together!
I pledge to support my fellow women with support, advice and business! Alisa
I pledge to help more women get booked on stage! Bri
I work to support women’s health! Judy
I pledge to refer business to other women business owners–Lindsey
I pledge to inspire and mentor young women!
Women are more powerful than they think!
I will support women’s health by helping them “alkalize” their bodies for better health–Tammy
I pledge to buy MADE IN THE USA products
I will encourage my daughter to strive to be a leader in business or government–Christina
I pledge to support women in business and health for all beings
I will help women relax. Head bartender at TGIF
I will help women write their stories–G
I pledge to help teens with mental health
I pledge to be a good example to all our daughters–E

For a list of further ways to help women read see 15 Ways to Change the Statistics

What is your pledge?

Resources: Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Women’s Business Council, The American Express OPEN, 2012 Forbes Most Powerful People List, Forbes “The Terrible Truth About Women on Corporate Boards,” Catalyst, The Kaufman Foundation

8 Comments

1. D'on Waltermire - May 13, 2013, 2:08 pm Reply

   I will lead women in creating wealth not just monetarily but also physically, spiritually and emotionally. My mission is leading, inspiring, impacting and developing thousands of women around the world to make a difference in their lives, their families lives, communities, nations and world.

2. Jenn - May 14, 2013, 6:34 am Reply

   I help women heal themselves. I help women reclaim their authentic voice. I help women transform their lives to live greatly and abundantly. I’m creating a movement to empower women!

3. Erin - May 14, 2013, 10:49 am Reply

   I pledge to help women unleash their genius. 🙂

4. Tabby Biddle - May 15, 2013, 3:31 pm Reply

   I pledge to help women remember the Goddess, and in turn, their intrinsic goodness, strength, wisdom and power to heal the world.

5. ‘Lean in’ to this world of equality | rosieMADE - May 24, 2013, 4:05 pm Reply

   […] more statistics on women in leadership? See these blog posts: Pledge to Lift Up Women, Inspired to Vote, or My Dream for Ella which is this mother’s hope for her […]

6. Trinka Polite - May 26, 2013, 12:16 pm Reply

   Love this post! A powerful and relevant message that needs to be shared over and over again until we see a truly significant change!
   I pledge to always help women feel empowered and celebrate their strengths!

7. Stephanie - May 26, 2013, 5:22 pm Reply

   I pledge to help nourish the bodies and souls of the people of the world!

   • Alicia Vanderschuere - May 28, 2013, 12:26 pm Reply

     Thanks ladies for all of your pledges! With all you are doing, the world will continue to get better! I am very grateful to have your support in this enormous cause we all share!