EDITORIAL: Female leaders are essential in society

In honor of Women’s History Month, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the importance of giving women the recognition they deserve. Specifically, we want to acknowledge how crucial woman leaders are to our society.

Giving more women the leadership positions they deserve will help close the gender pay gap. According to Pew Research Center, the gender pay gap has remained stable over the last 20 years, with women earning an average of 82% of what men earned in 2022. 

Oftentimes, when men and women start from the ground up in an organization, men are given more opportunities and higher pay than their female counterparts. So, by bringing more women into leadership roles, we can bridge that pay gap.

In addition, female leaders can inspire other women to become leaders too. Unfortunately, women are often underrepresented in leadership positions. 

In corporate leadership, only 7.2% of fortune 500 CEOs are women, and only 25% of C-suite jobs in the top 1000 companies are held by women; in academic leadership, only 32% of senior-level professors are women, and only 5% of college presidents are women of color, according to a report from AAUW.

This is a problem at Elmhurst University as well. As The Leader pointed out in an editorial last year, women are not well-represented in senior administrative roles; only three out of the eight members of President Troy Van Aken’s cabinet are women. 

This is a small step up from having just two female cabinet members last year … until you take into account that one of those two women left EU. 

Clearly, women are not getting the proper amount of respect and recognition that they deserve for their contributions. Female leadership is vital because it gives women a chance to share their gifts with others and inspire other women. 

When women see other women in leadership positions, they can recognize that leadership is a possibility for themselves and can feel empowered in that way. Women in leadership positions in institutions inspire the female student body to be more and do more. They give hope to younger generations. 

As women are incredibly underrepresented in all walks of life, it is time EU does more in this regard. Show us you care. Prove to the student body that the institution we are in is able and willing to truly be inclusive for all — whether they are a BIPOC woman, a transgender woman, or a cisgender woman. 

Furthermore, women will be more likely to want to step into positions of leadership when they know women are valued and respected at their organization. 

During a time when patriarchal norms and misogyny continue to be prevalent throughout the world, let’s take advantage of this Women’s History Month, and every month, to continue uplifting women and fighting for gender equality.