Why the world needs more women in the workplace

WORLD : Women workforce  from the 60s to date

Since the 1960's, women in the workplace have come a long way. But a new study shows that they still have a long way to go. Women today make up about half the American workforce, this is much unlike in the 1960's when they constituted about a third.
But, for example, only 23 Fortune 500 companies have CEOs who are women. Look at average wages – in 1963, a woman in the United States made 59 cents for every dollar a man made. Today, women have made good gains, but on average they make 77 cents for every dollar a male counterpart makes.
The most startling data on women in the workplace, came from a study by two left-leaning think tanks – the Center for American Progress and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
It turns out that the most important economic trend of the last 30 years might not be high tech...but rather high employment of women. If women hadn't entered the workforce – by the millions – over the last three decades, the study says, the U.S. economy would be about 11 percent smaller.
The report, which was partially funded by the Department of Labor, found that if women worked at 1979 levels, the U.S. economy would have lost over $1.7 trillion in economic output in 2012. That amount – $1.7 trillion dollars – is roughly the GDP of Canada.
One way to see what a country looks like when women don't work so much is to look at Japan. Japanese women are amazingly well educated, but, for various cultural reasons, they do not enter the workforce and stay in it. And those who do struggle to break the glass ceiling…or the “bamboo ceiling.”
Goldman Sachs estimates that if Japan could increase the female employment rate, the country's labor force would expand by more than 8 million people – and its GDP will grow by as much as 15 percent. That's significant for a stuttering economy with a rapidly aging population. And it's probably why Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" growth strategy has been infused with "Womanomics." Last year, he announced that he wanted to support women so that they could "shine" in the economy.
And it's not just Japan. According to the international Monetary fund, increasing women's employment rates around the globe could result in huge gains.
 If women worked at the same level as men in Egypt, the country's GDP could grow by 34 percent. The United Arab Emirates would see a 12 percent boost. Germany and France 4 percent...and even the United States could see 5 percent more growth.
But, let's be honest, women working has also produced economic complications. A larger, more competitive workforce has arguably kept wages from rising much.
Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney of the Brookings Institution point out that if you look at all working age men, the real earnings of the median American male have decreased by 19 percent since 1970, and this is for a variety of reasons.
Women working has also produced social complications regarding raising children. The Harvard Business review conducted a survey of American women who had left work to have children. Ninety-three percent of them wanted to return to work. But, only 74 percent managed to do so, and just 40 percent were able to return to full-time jobs.
The transformation of women's lives has been one of the great changes in history, but it will take time to get it right and to put in place laws and practices that make it work. Perhaps this will be one of the tasks that Hillary Clinton takes on if she gets that new job everyone is talking about in 2016…

--------------By Global Public Square

"Join the Next Generation women" by Esther U. Okoye

Teenage Girls in Nigeria Produce Mobile Apps

Tech4D FORUM 2014

Theme: Women Leading though Technology

There was a most amazing event organized by Women in Technology in Nigeria ( witin) at the Sheraton Hotels Ikeja Lagos. At the event "Tech4D FORUM 2014" Witin presented various groups of teenage girls from 15 secondary schools in Nigeria who produced mobile applications. 

While each group of girls represented their school, the young girls proudly displayed their applications , describing the technology, features and providing user guide for their respective applications. Some Mobile Apps which were produced by the young girls include;

RUSA - produced by the girls of the International School University of Lagos 

This app is meant for weight check and control. Allowing you to monitor your weight through you mobile Phone. It Also suggests Diet for weight control.

Electricity Unit Translator in Naira - Produced by the Girls of Honeyland Schools

 The Electricity Unit Translator is much like a mobile meter which enables you to monitor your electric energy consumption rate through your mobile Phone.

 The event were of two sessions. The morning session was for the young female software programmers and the afternoon session was meant for women. There were lots of female Information Technology professionals as well as women activists.

Mrs Nkemdilim Begho - MD Future Software Resources Nigeria Ltd.

The renowned Nigerian Movie Actress, Mrs Gloria Young Anozie (Left), The Chairman, Diaspora Commitee of the Nigeria Federal House of Rep- Lagos Sate federal Constituency- Ikorodu - Honourable Abike Dabiri Erewa ( Middle) The Permanent Secretary- Lagos state Ministry of Education- District VI ( Right) Mrs Iyabo Osifeso.

According to the President, women in Technology in Nigeria, Mrs Martha Alade, WITIN provides entrepreneurial and professional development opportunities for women and girls. Empowering them to embrace careers in information technology careers.  Read more @ http://witin.org

 

 

Is Youth Unemployment really the fault of the Government alone?

Youth unemployment is generally blamed on the Government. It is sometimes described
as Government’s inability to provide jobs.  Most times, this wide-spread notion is a
political vice which the political opponents of an incumbent Government use to
attack the existing People in leadership. It is not possible for government to provide job for every man and woman of career age within a country.

As an effort to satisfy their opponents, some Governments have provided funds for various programs all for the sake of youth career sponsorship. But would an unskilled youth be given funds to do a job for which he or she cannot handle?

Academics were meant to prepare a child for a career. But the widespread corrupt approach
to academic pursuit has made the young ones intellectually poor. Even though it is still considered illegal, exam mal-practice is now a part of exam procedures. Parents sponsor their children to seat for external exams in special examination centers where even a mentally deranged child could seat for an examination and make all “A”s in his courses. This is probably the reason why the young ones arrived at the name “miracle center”. Miracle center is a name given to those special examination centers where nobody fails a course.

At the miracle centers, some adults who want to make big business would steal away the pre-set exam questions, solve and provide all the correct answers to the exam candidates. The candidates would put down the already-made answers on their answer scripts and phew!, The miracle happens. The child makes all “A”s.

Books were written for you to read, learn and adopt the ideas expressed in the book. Unfortunately most students read books for the sake of passing examinations,
not for the sake of acquiring knowledge. During exam preparation, it is fear of
failure that makes you read your books inside-out. Would a child who knows that
his mom or dad has paid some huge amount of money to some adults who would
solve all the exam questions for him/her have a need to read any books at all?

After obtaining the miracle exam results, these teenagers flow fast into the higher institutions where they continue buying high academic scores and grades. Those who were unable to buy school grades make the poor grades while those who bought grades make the highest academic grades.

You would not have an in-depth understanding of your profession if you do not study to learn. At
employment interviews, those who kept buying academic scores and grades from their teenage age to the time they became school graduates would obtain certificates but would not be professionally trained enough to present reliable skills in their chose profession. And when several employers reject them, they say “there is a high rate of unemployment”. They are simply not fit for the jobs they seek because they were not trained for their profession. They just bought school grades and that was all they thought that was required for them to obtain jobs.

As technology increases, career environment gets more competitive. There is a high demand for
practical skills. Job seekers who do not understand their chosen profession either get no jobs at all or keep falling in and out of jobs until they go entirely out of employment.

I was a part of an interview team who were meant to recruit some applicants who applied for
jobs in information technology. There before us was an applicant who made a second class upper division. That’s the most common grade amongst the highest performers you know. And I must confess, his curriculum vitae was much more sophisticated than mine was when I was a fresh school graduate. I respected the candidate when I read through the CV. During the interview, he was asked “What kind of Operating systems have you ever used?”.  He said “ I have not really operated any machines by myself but I supervise those who operate the machines”. I didn’t get it, so I asked “what kind of machines are they?, he said “forklifts”. I said “no, I’m not talking about machines. This is about computers. I mean what operating systems have you ever used while working with a computer?

He said “oooh, I’m sorry, now I understand your question. On a computer, the operating system I use is e…eer..rrhm…. I can browse the internet, like send e-mails. I asked again, “can you type a document”? He smiled brightly and said “yes, I can type on word”. And then I asked, “That Microsoft word application runs on an operating system”. And he agreed with a long
nod and a smile saying “yeeess, you’re right ma”. I felt a little bit encouraged because I thought he was close to the answer. So I asked again “what operating system was the Microsoft word running on? He said “actually there are different kinds of operating systems, like in my house, I use HP. There is also another one caller Dell”.

 At this point, our team leader lost patience, and said to him. “Submit duplicates of your credentials to the woman opposite you and thanks for coming. May we attend
to the next person”? With that, his session ended. Operating system is an everyday language in computing. Non-computer graduates know about windows 7 and 8 operating systems. The candidate I must say stays very far away from computing, even though he studied computer science and worst still has next to the highest academic grade.

Situations whereby people buy academic grades from their early teenage age until after becoming school graduates causes the production of such unemployable graduates. And there are a great number of such people who seek hired jobs. Do we blame this kind of unemployment on the government or on the exam mal-practice merchants and parents who pull children and youths away from professional standards at the formative stages of their careers? 

MY WIFE LOVES ME BUT I LOVE MY EX-GIRLFRIEND

I am a 36 year old man, married with three kids.  My wife is a very good woman but I think I’m in love again with my ex-girlfriend.

After our graduation from school, I went to the U.K for my master’s degree. Before I travelled I had this girl Bola. She actually walked out on me because of the distance between us. But I still had a crush on her. She was quite beautiful and it was not easy for me to chase after her because I left the pretty girl in Nigeria while I went for further education in the U.K. When I returned to Nigeria, I attempted hooking up with her and she hardly gave me much attention. I believed she must have had a lot of men around her so I gave her the space.

Later, I met my wife a very homely girl, quite submissive and caring. Somehow i still kept in touch with my ex-girlfriend. I kept her as just a friend with no strings attached. I always stood by her, encouraged her and advised her like a brother. Although my wife is just good to me, I think there is still a lot that I miss in her that I see in Bola. Bola is very smart, intelligent, and independent and she respects me. I always admired her stylish ways. I got involved with Bola and we started dating again. We have been dating for about two years and three months. I enjoy every single minute I spend with Bola.

My wife has complained very bitterly about my attitude and I know it is all my fault. She has packed out of my house twice because of my lack of attention to her. Even though I went to plead with her and make her come home again, my mind is still on Bola.  Every new day, I lose interest in my wife. My wife nags and complains. My children are now afraid of me because their mother cries in their presence because of me.  I am feeling very guilty as a father but I don’t love their mother anymore. My wife loves me to the point that I am sure that she may hurt herself if I leave her. But I think the best thing for us is a divorce. Bola is still single and she accepts to marry me but my problem now is how can i present this idea of divorce to my wife? 

TENT 2014 Gathering

TENT 2014 Gathering 

Hosted by Paradigm Initiative at the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

At the Benson Idahosa University, Esther Okoye Speaks on the theme, "See the Need, Take The Lead". 

R-L, Esther Okoye (Distronet International), Pascha Iwuh ( The African Network). 

Staff of the Paradigm Initiative presents a performance award to Esther Okoye

Students at the BIU for the TENT Gathering, 2014, event.