Women and Leadership

Despite substantial progress, women remain significantly under-represented in leadership roles; they hold fewer than a fifth of top positions in both the public and the private sectors. In Women and Leadership, the eminent legal scholar Deborah L. Rhode focuses on women's underrepresentation in leadership roles and asks why it persists and how we can address it. Rhode examines a range of professions and explores the reasons, including family roles, unconscious gender bias, and exclusion from professional development networks. Her conclusion is that we cannot address persistent and pervasive barriers solely at the individual level. We need a broad array of strategies to target deep-seated structural and cultural barriers. Rhode's clear exploration of the leadership gap and compelling individual and policy responses will make this an essential book for anyone interested in leveling the playing field in professional life. Book jacket.