While walking back from a delightful lunch with a dear friend today, from a distance I heard the sad sounds of bugles. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, overlooking the oldest part of the city of Brussels, I stopped to attend the commemoration of the soldiers who died in World War I. With a […]
At a time when women outnumber men at university in most Western countries, I think it’s safe to say that lack of intelligence cannot be the reason why women still are lagging behind when it comes to occupying decision-making positions. Similarly, it’s been known for at least 30 years that more women at the top
More women leaders? Get real women to the top. Read More »
As the efforts to reach gender parity grow, more and more ‘gaps’ come to the surface. There is the pay gap, the career gap, the healthy movement gap, the chores gap, and so on. Lately I’ve come across articles about the gender confidence gap, and how to tackle it. I’m adding mine. A recent piece
#1 issue to solve: the gender confidence gap Read More »
Recent research by Bank of America Merrill Lynch shows that employing more women at the top is excellent for share prices. All male boards will soon have to let more women in, not because they like to share power, but because this is what moves the money. Women now have more economic power than ever.
More women at the top boosts share prices Read More »
Recently I read an interview with a business woman who said that the best thing she ever did for herself was to let go of perfectionism. She was right. Self-oriented perfectionism can be debilitating. As a recovering perfectionist, I know this well. Wikipedia describes the condition as ‘a personality trait characterised by a person’s striving
To be the perfect woman Read More »
Recently I had the privilege of attending a diner with the great Jane Goodall, a true example of women power. This meeting with 135 women in Amsterdam, aimed to generate ideas of how to support Jane in her mission. Most people associate this grand lady with chimpanzees, but the cause for which she still travels
That working women get punished for being mothers is not new. However, when researchers of the Universities of Gent and Leuven, Belgium, sent out 960 job applications with different profiles, they found that children are bad news for working fathers too. Male candidates with children were invited 18% less often for job interviews. According to Professor Stijn
Fatherhood lowers chances of finding job Read More »
‘I see so many women who are great at their jobs, but also at remaining invisible,’ says Elke Jeurissen, founder of the Belgian women’s network ‘De Straffe Madammen‘ (The Strong Ladies). On Story Club, the site where Business Story Teller Raf Stevens posts his interviews (in Dutch) with a variety of people, Elke Jeurissen explains
The art of being imperfect Read More »
Last weekend I visited my step-grandchild, a delightful little boy of eight months old. We don’t see much of each other because we live far apart, so it took him several hours to get used to the new people in the house. He was gentle and adorable, sure, but I remember very distinctly the moment
How a look can change your life in one second flat. Read More »
Billie Jean King’s challenge of the old boys’ network in sports, way back in the 70’s, paved the way for women to receive equal prize money in tennis. In ‘The Battle of the Sexes’ Emma Stones plays this heroic woman. Sadly, there is still a huge payment gap everywhere. In fact gaps exist in every field.
Stop being happy with the crumbs Read More »
Letting go of negativity not only makes you happier, it actually helps you live longer too. And healthier! This is the principle my practice is based upon, and here’s yet another piece of scientific proof. Elisabeth Blackburn, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2009, has found that your mental patterns could be harming
More scientific proof that negative thoughts can kill you, from a Nobel Prize winner! Read More »
It’s time to stop putting our heads in the sand. Global warming is happening fast, and it puts many of us -if not all- in danger. Many solutions are being discussed, and many have a hefty price tag. Educating girls seems the cheapest option, and a very effective one too, is the conclusion of Paul
Empowering Women Is the Best Way to Solve Climate Change Read More »
