‘Lead yourself:’ Women in Leadership panelists are inspiring the next generation of women leaders – upbeacon.com

Report on the Women in Leadership Panel: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Event Summary

On November 13, the Women in Leadership (WIL) club hosted a panel discussion in the Brian Doyle Auditorium. The event featured four women leaders from diverse professional backgrounds who shared insights on career development. The discussion focused on navigating professional growth, particularly within male-dominated industries, thereby directly addressing key tenets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Advancing Gender Equality (SDG 5)

A primary focus of the panel was the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the workplace. The panelists’ experiences provide a clear narrative on challenging gender-based barriers and fostering inclusive economic environments.

• Joane Moceri, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Innovations, recounted her experience in the “organically misogynistic” car dealership industry. She actively worked to dismantle this structure by hiring women, directly contributing to women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership (SDG Target 5.5).
• Leigh Anne Scherer, Director of Technology and Information Services, detailed her transition from the female-dominated field of elementary education to the male-dominated technology sector. Her journey underscores the importance of encouraging female participation in technology and STEM fields.
• Renee Eaton, founder of RapidMade, shared her career path through manufacturing, another traditionally male-dominated field, serving as an example of female leadership in non-traditional sectors.

Promoting Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Quality Education (SDG 4)

The discussion highlighted the importance of adaptability, lifelong learning, and skill development as crucial components for achieving full and productive employment.

1. Embracing Career Transitions: Renee Eaton noted that individuals will likely have “three to five distinct careers.” This perspective promotes the necessity of lifelong learning opportunities (SDG Target 4.3) and adaptability to achieve decent work for all.
2. Confidence and Skill Recognition: Elizabeth Lee encouraged attendees to reflect on their experiences and become confident in their skills, especially during career changes. This fosters the resilience needed for sustained economic participation.
3. Continuous Learning: Leigh Anne Scherer advised attendees to be open to learning from peers while retaining decision-making autonomy, a principle that supports both quality education and effective professional development.

Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10) and Building Inclusive Institutions (SDG 16)

The panel addressed the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality and the role of leadership in creating more just and inclusive systems.

• Elizabeth Lee, a process manager for the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, described her work as being consistently focused on equity. Her research on the “lived experiences of folks who are marginalized” and her professional goal to “redesign processes so that they are more fair and accessible” directly align with reducing inequalities and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions (SDG Target 16.6).

Core Leadership Principles for Sustainable Development

The panelists concluded by offering advice that serves as a framework for developing leadership capable of advancing sustainable and equitable progress.

1. Advocacy and Initiative: Lee stated that a leader is “the person that is pointing out issues first, being an advocate and committing to seeing something through,” even when it is “deeply uncomfortable.” This proactive stance is essential for driving change related to all SDGs.
2. Self-Leadership: Moceri provided the foundational advice to “get good at leading yourself” before attempting to lead others. This principle of self-awareness and personal management is critical for creating sustainable and impactful leadership.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire piece revolves around a “Women in Leadership” panel discussing the challenges and experiences of women navigating their careers, particularly in “male-dominated fields.” Panelist Joane Moceri explicitly addresses the “organically misogynistic” nature of the car business and her efforts to hire more women, directly tackling gender inequality in the workplace.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article focuses on the professional journeys, career growth, and leadership development of women. It discusses achieving success and creating fair working environments. Elizabeth Lee’s work to “redesign processes so that they are more fair and accessible” aims to improve working conditions and ensure equitable outcomes, which is a core component of decent work.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The discussion addresses inequalities faced by women and marginalized groups in professional settings. Elizabeth Lee’s research on the “lived experiences of folks who are marginalized, and how do they cope with being discriminated against” directly relates to understanding and reducing the inequalities that prevent full economic and social inclusion.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

   The article is a direct reflection of this target. The event itself, a “Women in Leadership” panel, aims to inspire and guide the next generation of women leaders. Joane Moceri’s story is a clear example; upon finding herself the “only woman” in the car business, she “worked towards hiring women,” actively promoting their participation in a male-dominated industry.

2. Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

   This target is addressed through the panelists’ experiences with discrimination. Moceri describes the car business as “organically misogynistic,” a form of systemic discrimination. Furthermore, Elizabeth Lee’s research focus on “how [marginalized folks] cope with being discriminated against” shows a direct engagement with the issue of discrimination in society and the workplace.

3. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

   The article implicitly addresses this target by highlighting the barriers women face in achieving full and productive employment in certain fields. Leigh Anne Scherer’s “jarring change” when moving from a female-dominated to a male-dominated field underscores the different conditions and challenges women face. The goal of making processes “more fair and accessible,” as mentioned by Elizabeth Lee, is a step toward creating decent work for all.

4. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex… or other status.

   This target is central to the article’s theme of empowering women to become leaders. The panel aims to foster inclusion by sharing knowledge and experience. Lee’s focus on redesigning processes for fairness and accessibility for “folks who are marginalized” is a direct effort to promote economic inclusion and reduce systemic inequalities.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.5 (Proportion of women in managerial/leadership positions): The article strongly implies this indicator. Joane Moceri’s anecdote about being the “only woman” and then actively working to “hir[e] women” is a qualitative account of trying to change the proportion of women in her workplace. Leigh Anne Scherer’s experience moving into the male-dominated technology field also points to a low proportion of women in leadership roles in that sector. The existence of the panel itself suggests this proportion is a key area of concern.
• Implied Indicator for Target 5.1 (Existence of frameworks and policies to combat discrimination): This is implied through Elizabeth Lee’s work. Her effort to “redesign processes so that they are more fair and accessible” can be seen as the creation of an organizational framework to prevent discrimination and ensure equitable outcomes. This represents a qualitative measure of progress toward ending discrimination.
• Implied Indicator for Target 8.5 (Equal opportunity in employment): While not a formal UN indicator, the entire narrative implies the need to measure and improve equal opportunity. The challenges described by the panelists in “male-dominated fields” suggest that opportunities are not equal. Progress could be measured by tracking the number of women entering and advancing in these fields over time.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: upbeacon.com