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Successful measures to close gender gap in business schools

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Summary of story from The New York Times, October 19, 2011

Under representation of women in business schools has been an issue for a long time.

Researchers have tried to figure out just why fewer women enroll, and figure out how to change it.

Some schools, including the European Institute of Business Administration, or Insead, in France, and European Professional Women’s Network and the European Executive MBA Women’s Group are trying new ways to facilitate female recruitment and development.

Insead has partnered with the Forté Foundation, an American initiative funded by a consortium of corporations and business schools that tries, through mentoring, financial aid and networking assistance, to channel women toward leadership roles.

And the efforts seems to be sucessful: in 2005, 17 percent of students at Insead were women; enrollment this year has grown to 33 percent.

“When women are only 17 percent of the group, they are far less likely to speak up,” Herminia Ibarra, professor of organizational behavior at Insead, said.

“When they are over 30 percent you can be sure they are raising the issues important to them.”

Part of that education involves providing role models for women to identify with.

In the 2010 World Economic Forum Corporate Gender Gap Report survey respondents from almost all countries surveyed said they considered a lack of mentors and role models as one of the main barriers to career advancement.

At Insead, around 300 of 1000 students are now women. The school thinks the growth is due to women creating a strong networking base, who have in turn set up their own efforts to help others.

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