The 9th International Project Management Day chose ‘women & children’ as its theme this year. There is much to be said about the role of project managers in education. I have written before about the positive work done by various groups to promote project management skills in schools.
As in all other areas, equality in project management is a good thing. Everyone benefits from equality. Project Magazine published an article in March that stated:
“From booking a big family vacation to planning a wedding, there are many tasks that women have traditionally had to project manage every day. What industry is doing to help female project managers?
The answer is almost nothing. Part-time, evening, and weekend training courses are something I have only recently discovered. This allows working parents to balance their studies with family commitments. These courses are great for all, not just women. According to McKinsey research and Catalyst, companies with a good mix of genders in their senior teams perform well.
Flexible working policies for both men and women and the possibility to work remotely are available to both genders. Better work/life balance results in more productive employees who are more motivated to stay longer with the company. This reduces recruitment costs and saves money for the company. Workplace policies that were originally designed to support women working have become programs that benefit everyone. This type of thing is more about improving everyone’s quality-of-life, so it is less likely that women will feel they need special treatment at work.
All that said, women have some power to make positive changes. Charlotte Neuhauser, PMP, found that 75% of women believe that women are less capable of managing projects than men. Who will believe that we are capable of doing a great job without special treatment?