As societal norms continue to evolve and centuries worth of miseducation and bigotry are slowly transcended, more and more women are entering and finding success in the business world. However, true equality does not yet exist, as evidenced by disproportionate representation of women in positions of corporate power, as well as a lack of equal rights and pay across the various industries. 

One major factor contributing to a lack of equality in the work place—and in the corporate world particularly—is the unhealthy portrayal of women in the media. For longer than most of us have been alive, the media has objectified women and portrayed them as being by nature subservient and inadequate. This media-driven message reinforces unhealthy social norms and groupthink, and results in a subconscious lack of confidence in many modern women. Positive thought is the genesis of positive action, and without the confidence to strive for upper-level positions or entrepreneurial success, many women allow opportunities to better themselves slip by untested.

Although men and women do often demonstrate inherent differences in approach and action, both are of equal value to society. An imbalance in the business world is indicative of an imbalance in all levels of society, and without the talents and strengths of both sexes represented on an equal level, we cannot expect our communities to thrive. Let’s work together to create a business atmosphere—and a society in general—that embraces equality and opportunity for all.