Conference Presentation, Panel
Gender Equity Leadership in a Time of Transition
Milken InstituteLauren Gustus, Autumn Burke, Laura Friedman, Cassandra Pye, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Chris Silbermann, Kevin Clowden
- The Milken Institute California Center aims to convert event dialogue into actionable recommendations and collaborative solutions addressed over the coming year and years.
- Kevin Clowden plans to release a study by Jessica Jackson regarding the status of women in the workforce across all 50 U.S. states.
- ICM Partners holds an ambitious goal to achieve a 50-50 gender balance in leadership by 2020, intended to serve as a benchmark for other companies.
- Laura intends to implement enhanced training programs covering implicit and bystander bias, expand the definition of inappropriate conduct to allow early intervention, and utilize an outside expert panel for accountability.
- California is expected to elect a female governor within the next election cycle or within approximately eight years.
- The panel anticipates that legislative processes will soon allow legislators like Autumn Scott to maintain office while caring for children, removing the choice between motherhood and political service.
- Jennifer predicts that investing in women will resolve systemic national problems and that future political candidates will face shifting fundraising norms as societal perceptions of women asking for money evolve.
- The group expects the Me Too movement to sustain a paradigm shift toward better allyship and industry accountability, moving beyond policy papers to address underlying cultural factors.
- Recommendations include implementing policies for dual-income households, such as universal preschool, child care support, workplace flexibility, and universal health care, to advance women into leadership pipelines.
- The panel draws on experiences from Alaska and Arizona regarding female leadership to suggest strategies for California, while noting the state's high costs as a barrier.
- California Women Lead plans to recruit women from both the private and public sectors for service by making specific commitments similar to those extended to Governor Brown.
- Long-term expectations indicate a future where gender equity issues no longer require active consideration, supported by policy changes that aid the family unit.
- The upcoming Sacramento event is projected to be highly impactful, with a strong desire for attendees to return and engage in further initiatives.