Even at the top, women talk about their feelings and men come up with numbers.
Women and men have different leadership skills, different interests, and even different brains. This became clear at a symposium on female leadership organized by the VU Association. What the speakers agreed on: “To get to the top, you have to work very hard.
When she speaks to students, it's always the women who ask: “How do you actually do that, leadership?” , says Jacintha Ellers, professor of Evolutionary Ecology. The boys, they don't even think about that. ' Ellers is one of the speakers at the symposium “Women at the Top”, about the power and necessity of gender diversity and the striking lack of female leaders. This also applies at the VU, where women make up only about thirty percent of the total number of professors.
The meeting is accessible to everyone but remarkably popular, especially among women. Due to the many registrations, the VU association that organized the afternoon even had to move to a larger hall, in the NU building. On Thursday, April 18, around 85 women and 17 men will be sitting there in Theater Hall 3, with most men sitting in the second row.
Are women better leaders? Professor of Evolutionary Psychology Mark van Vugt weighs his words carefully during his mini-lecture “Gender Dynamics in Leadership”. Because women and men have evolved evolutionarily differently over thousands of years of hunting and gathering, he says. This is reflected in their leadership skills, their interests and even in a cross-section of their brain. Seventy percent of the brain regions have differences between men and women.
In the case of elephants, the matriarch takes the lead when looking for water in the savannah.
For example, according to research in 26 countries, men are seen as better wartime leaders while women score higher in peacetime. So different leaders, for different situations. In the animal world, that appears to be no different. “When chimpanzees have a conflict with a group of peers, the males come forward. But with elephants, the matriarch takes the lead when it comes to finding water in the savannah. '
To get more women to the top, Van Vugt suggests some practical ideas. Create an egalitarian work culture, not a hierarchical one, that pushes men forward. Encourage girls to choose team sports because on the football field, boys learn to work together in large groups. Encourage female role models to increase girls' aspiration levels. Organize women's networks, where women can meet and help each other.
The Femina glass artwork symbolises what you can achieve with women
The symposium itself looks, perhaps unintentionally, like a major women's networking event. There are role models, such as Saskia van der Vies, professor of Biochemistry and chair of the WO&MEN @VU network, which is committed to gender equality and inclusion. Margrethe Jonkman, recently appointed Chairman of the Executive Board, calls the artwork Femina, which consists of glass balls and symbolises what you can achieve with women. The attendees, including students and staff, alumni and members of the VU Association, know where to find each other over drinks. The youngest visitor, Emma, is almost nine years old and went with her mother, who works as a scientist at the VU, this afternoon.
Singer Graziëlla Hunsel Rivero, founder of the musical women's collective Fiere Vrouwen, also contributes to the conversation about women at the top. 'I just think women are born leaders without even knowing it'. She then sings 'The Lady Is A Champ', with the audience singing along enthusiastically. “There you go, ladies!”
As the afternoon passes, the differences between women and men become increasingly clear. It's the male speakers who come up with facts and figures. Van der Vugt says that women are more interested in other people, while men love technology. Ninety percent of psychology students at the VU are therefore women. And there are two to three times as many female pilots in India as in the more gender-equal Netherlands. This has to do with the gender equality paradox formulated by scientists: the more level the playing field, the more women do what they like.
“Am I still willing to participate in the system?”
The female speakers mostly share their feelings. For example, Van der Vies explains how difficult it was to work as the second female professor at the then Faculty of Physical Sciences more than twenty years ago. It was quite a process to learn how to get something done in a meeting with men who didn't listen to her. About her doubts at the time: 'I wondered, where is my limit? Am I still willing to participate in the system and where can I really make an impact? '
Jacintha Ellers sits on stage with Van der Vies and says she recognizes “a lot” in her story. “Of course, you should try to respond properly to situations yourself, but we also need to change something about the system.” Van der Vies: “We need to talk about the system. With everyone in the organization. ' And about men: 'I don't want to say they're not willing, but speaking is one, and action is two'.
One of the men in the second row, law alumnus and member of the VU Association Roel Dijk, just wants to say something about that and interrupts the conversation. 'The system, I'm curious about that. What are we talking about? ' Van der Vies, with some raising his voice: “We're talking about the patriarchal hierarchical system, set up for and by men.”
“It's a habit to give men the floor first
After the meeting, Dijk still wants to say something about that altercation. That no one ever gets to the top with ease, not even men. “It's about expertise, experience and a willingness to make sacrifices.” And he nicely points out that presenter Roos van Dalen, a “passionate advocate for gender equality” according to the program, was the first to give Vos the floor in the panel discussion between Van der Vies, Ellers and Robert Vos. Why was that in the script like that, he thinks? “Out of habit. A lot of people are more likely to address men. '
Tradwives are young women who opt for an ultra-traditional division of roles
The symposium ends with entrepreneur Marian Spier interviewing Professor of Sports and Law Marjan Olfers. The conversation ends with happy gossip about the phenomenon of “tradwives” that came over from America. These are young women who opt for ultra-traditional roles and post selfies behind the counter on Instagram. Olfers: “They are women who love to cook.” One participant in row six: “Back to square one!” Olfers: 'The tradwives are a counter-movement, they come from a generation that says everything should be fun. But it's not always fun at the top and you have to work really hard to get there. '
She calls for women to focus on their development and abilities in order to achieve self-development and to be good at their job. “In doing so, there must be room to create your own opportunities. And of course, it's important that you enjoy what you do. '
Published on April 19, 2024
