Women on the Playing Field - International Marketplace - NO PROTECTION for Unfair Business Practices

  • by: Victims Rights
  • recipient: ISO - International Standard Organization/IEC - Commision Electrotrechique Internationale/ PrivacyInternational.org/ EPIC/EFF/Global commision on Inernet Governance/

Women in the workforce is no longer new. However, the issue of earning equity continues to be on the forefront (http://AAUW.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the -gender-gap) . Women still earn 77cents on the dollar as men in the equivilaent position. The ERA is old, passed U.S. Senate and House of Represenatives March 22, 1972, and still has not been ratified in 15 states. Thus, being in an alternative lifestyle offers a broad community of support. Advancing in a professional feild a a single female in industry or in government roles there is no community. Women continue to lag in Leadership roles. Women hold 4.4% o fthe CEO level in F500. The USA ranks 69th in percentage of women serving in government. We have 20 in the Senate and 80 in the House, just over 5.6% of all Legislative professionals.

When one compares women's advancement in commerce in other nations, we find that in the country of Norway a law reuires that 40% of the Board of Directors of a Public Company must be female. In the country of India - a similar law requires 30% of Board of directors as female. This demonstrates that around the world, Gender equality is valued, and the qualities that women bring to the workforce are valued: ethics, honest, relatinship driven vs, transaction driven, collaborative, workplace harmony, environmental soundness, resource protection, and brand integrity.(Pewsocialreseach.org)

Each time women advance in certain sectors they encourter barriers, obstacles, harssmement, and attacks to keep her form access to high levels of executive powers, industy leadership, and government influence - moving them away from the "feminized industries" - health care, teaching , child-care, interior design, and real estate.

It was in 1984 that The Citadel had its first 4 female cadets. They experienced hazing, items left in lockers, cartoons, nasty commments, physical threats, intimidation, and lack of receptivity for their intellectual ability. The emotional and psychological toll was so great 2 of the 4 dropped out. They at least rode "point" for being there.

Today, Viriginia Miliatary Institute was the last of the Military Schools to admit women beginning in 1997. They had 10% of the cadets in the class of 500 as female for 2016. Our most outstanding achievement of women in the Military/Security is "Maya" (real name restricted) who was the person in the Intelligence community to locate Osama Bin Lauden and direct Seal Team 6 for the execution of the key terrorist against the United States.

In the 90's, it was the elimination of women from the "private clubs" the perveyance of the Corporate Elite in the Executive suite and Board. Previously women were barred from the enclaves of the ultimate in privacy, unseen negotiation, exclusive communication, and hushed attendants to thier needs. In the world of Merger and Acquisitions, the 'Private Clubs' certainly counter the conference room, and prevent those wondering what is happening in "anti-trust" issues of private industry from insider discussions. Private Clubs are no longer the issue of entertainment of a client, for women it is access for skill in confidentiality, solutioning, and deal terms. It took legislative action to require these "private clubs" from excluding women from membership, entrance, and access as a guest. Relying on the grounds of equal accessibility to resources for women to be competitive in commerce.

In the 2000's, enrollment in graduate school for women exceeds men nationwide. Harvard Business School states that only 11% of case studies profile women decision makers. Harvard Academic Administration states that grade levels in graudate schoool are not equitable (women were 36% of the class, yet only 11% of high acieving scholars.) Women continue to have their inttellectual capacity acknowledged.

Across the continent to the West Coast - Venture Capitalist remain legendary on failing to fund female entrepreneurs, with only 4% of the funding going to women. Those that are funded are in 'applied sciences' (hard science) something that could be quantified - usually in biotechnolgy, biosciences, or process based applications that reduce cost of delivery in an existing market.

The roll call of women in in Leadership roles for Techology remains fixed in paucity. The first to emerge were the women who chose the 30 year career model to gain access to the Executive suite - noteably Meg Whitman, and Carla Fiorina. The new breed through the 'start-up' community are Marissa mayer - Yahoo!, and Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook. Both had Ivy Education and applied their skill in emerging industries.

Today Legislative represetnation has ben led by Hillary Clinton's efforts at the Whitehouse to expand the First Lady role beyond an accessory function to a full fledged partner in the Executive Office of the United States. She is credited with placing 18,000 cracks in the 'glass ceiling' with her own career in the Senate, and continues to make history in 2016 as the FIRST Female Presidential Candidate in the history of the United States.

In the 2010's the last frontier for women in professional environments is in International Consulting. There are so few, it is not evern measured, and there are no media reports. The roles for women range from International Business, Diplomacy, IT Consulting, and Engineeering. International Business like a management consulting firm like Bain Capital - they would like to support women with scholarships to INSEAD, yet has no women in Senior Roles overseas. Diplocacy boasts the highest percentatge with a history of female holding the office of Secretary of State - Madeline Albright, Condoleeza Rice, and Hillary Clinton. The US Government has supported women with 50% of the CIA as female. The Obama Adminstratin has done an excellent job in promoting women in government roles.

In the Sciences, IT and Engineering, there are few women represented. In addition, to the STEM lack of participants, few women occupy senior roles... the IT representatives tend to be male, married, with children. Thus, the presentation of women as representative in Technology overseas is very small to nil.

It is this arena that I have joined. I found no counterpart of female executives overseas. It is the last frontier of women on the playing field. As such, while EEOC protects women in firms domesticaly, it ihas no legislation for women overseas facing sexual harassment. Under Legislative leadership - Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) Amy Klobuchar (D- MN) Clair McClaskill (D-MO) find actual interferance is nil, but oral reductionist coments are legendary in politics, ranging from hairstyle, suit color, and bilogical function.

IT women are few and far between either being IC ( Independent Contract) workers via project, or representing the corporate policy in a foregin nation. Due to the international hiring regulatins, where a nationsl is rquired for the role over a foreigner, the corporate policy positions have thinned out. In addition to the exisiting "glass ceiling' for women in STEM field, few women are already at the level of eligibility for an international assignment. Added to the current phenomena of work/life balance outlined by Sheryl Sandberer, - not enough women 'lean-in' to their career. The only generation of eligibility in maturation of skill-set is the Boomer Generation. The Gen X are still dealing with family issues, and often reluctant to move children overseas, and relocate their spouse; opting instead for a 2 career family domestically. Gen Y is still getting off the ground, and are focused on IT mobility, flexible work environment, and blur of friend/colleague relationships.

The kinds of barriers to women oversas takes a completely different pircture than expected. The women in private clubs saw a simple "no entrance" and legislative answers addressed the issue. The overseas club of ex-pats is still a man's domain. These are senior managers who are ususally 'company men' acting as captains of enterprise in foreign contracts to US multinationals. The profile of the Boomer Generations show that upper income males marry a non-employed spouse.

Even a glance at Silicon Valley today demonstrates the privincialism not seen in larger metros on the East Coast where women in professions: media, journalism, acting, non-profit, health care, education policy, and othe arenas where women offer social status with professional roles.

The Leadership role of Women in IT is still small, and often found in secondary roles of Operations, Marketing, Human Resources... still devoid of the technical roles of Engineer, Product Design, Product Management, and Launch. The Silicon Valley roll call of Tech Female Leaders shows that those achivevers came into the Executive Offices via collateral roles in the firm. The hard technical domain known in Silicon Valley Engineering circles is a 'man's wolrd. While recent grads in computer Science are challenging the ratios, the statistics of a 7 year life span in IT before women opt out to other roles - remains. Why? Because of how they are treated.

Seniors still control assignments, pay grades promotions, project terms, and the unconscious bais in gender in Silicon Valley is legendary, continuing to be documented by gender studies in Stanford Univeristy. The kind of opposition given to women overseas is a stunning disappointment in the US Leadership of Women Globally: advacing K -12 and STEM initative in other counteies. The Obama Administration Global Entreprenuers Global Entreprenuers Summit held on Standford Campus demonstrates the commitment to women in STEM and female entrepreneurs. He authorized his State Department under John Kerry to create a "super-highway" of VISA issuance for foreign entrepreneurs to interact with talent in Silicon Valley. Thus, it is a wanted and supported goal, but that commitment is not found WITHIN the industry.

Overseas women face three levels of harassment: 1) Direct harassment from American IT seniors who complain about the women's qualifications (this harkens back to the days of Affirmative Action for women in the USA - 30years ago). Each male feels they earned thier assignment, and they wonder how "she" got there; 2) Harassment from the Ex-Pat community - normally a close knit society willing to help one another adjust to a new culture. However, most seniors are male, and with wives in tow - some feel threatened by a female who directly competes with their husband. They see her as a personal threat not only to their choice to stay out of the workforce, and achievement or issues. Separately, a constant fear for the 'stay at home' spouse is marriage security. 3) US protection teams who may be bored, may engage in a little 'sport'.

What does harassment look like? It is the same as the 1970's harassment that limited women's professional roles, reduced their enterace to industry, blocked access to clients, and denigarated their ability to perform.

The US faces a diplomatic sore point when its citizens fail to behave on foreign soil. As demonstrated with the military personel who engage in the humiliation of their enemy. In the ongoing 'war against terrorism' attacks on the Koran, images of the prophet, Muslim profiling, and theft of Shia flags demonstrate the impact of confusing the war of extremists, with a war against a religion. Our own President George W. Bush (43) forced to war after 9/11 stated, "We are not at war with Islam We are at war with Religious Extremists".

The overseas experience ow women's discrimination starts simple:
1) Block Fundamental Platform to Perform -increase the costs of doing business through manipulation of resources. Reduce availabilty of lodging resources. Theft of professional equipment, and accidental 'lost luggage.
2) Rumor Mongoring - Tell the client her credentials are inadequate. State she has insufficient experience. Indicate she has insufficent education - Bill Gates has no college degree, Jobs never finished college, Mark zukerberg never went to graduate school. Why do women need a PhD to work overseas in technology?
3) Character Bashing - Indicate a problem of substance abuse. State she is a "lesbian" or "gender challenged " "hates men". Indicate she is a woman of immoral repute. Describe theft of ideas, rather than offering original credit. Demonstrate inability to follow policy or regulation. State she is not a 'team-player', and no one can get along with her. Indicate she is unstable. Warn others she is violent and retailitory.
4) Corporate Sabatoge -Cyberstalking - use of spyware, trojans, malware, file corruption, screenviewer are all illicit attempts to disable another person in the free market place. Telecommunications tampering.
5) Create a Record - Overseas requires 'work permits' Only the cream of the crop are allowed to advance to this domain. One's personal character and record must be stellar. Reduce eligibility with accusations of DUI, or misdemeanor offenses. Create 3rd party offenses, with a "innocent bystander" who calls the police with a statement of inappropriate behavior.

With a record, no matter how brilliant she is, she is knocked of the 'playing field' due to immutable government restrictions.
6) Keep her off the court - Cut funding resources. Engage in Character Assisination. Create a "insider file" to reduce avialability of key clients.

At present we have no regulations to protect women from harassment overseas. The workplace harssment laws depend on a common employer. EEOC is set up with workplace harassment appplied to companies greater than 15.

A Female Entrepreneur will tell you besides "funding" the myriad of hoops required to launch, and sustain are innumerable. Competitors don't like being beat as a femal. So when people ask "Where are the women?" The answer is, "We are here. We have always been here." It is not women who lack confidence, or self esteem to enter STEM careers. It is the horrible treatment, undefinable constant limitation that are intolerable to a bright ambitious female.

While we have legislation now... the first female sexual harassment suit in Venture Capital (Kleiner, Perkeins, Caufield and Byers ) was heard 3/27/2015. Ellen Pao lost the case, but advanced the dialogue of 'gender bias' in the Valley. The cost of speaking up for yourself is high - legal fees for litgation, and the subsequent rumor for the next employer. Once a female cries 'foul' she is labeled a 'troublemaker', 'risky hire', or 'legal liabiiltiy' for standing up for herself. Ann Curry on "Today" show was manuevered out through hazing actions. She is gone from the visibility of Nationwide TV. Currently, she is working at CNN at a much reduced salery to save 'self respect'.

Why is this still happening to women in America - the World Leader on Women's Issues?

Women in the Present Administration --- President Obama says, "You must not only get a seat at the table, you work to be the head of the table." Hillary has demonstrated she is not only a professional legislator, she is capable of leading the entire USA, and the World. In her Deomocratic Party Nomination speech, she stated, "Some people just don't know what to do with me." Having faced constant criticism throughout her career, she remains poised, and continues to demonstrate her sound judgement.

Women have arrived.

I will continue.

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