Women as Change Agents

Women as Change Agents

Women have played a significant role in eliminating gender inequality over the past decade by acting as change agents. According to Dahmen-Adkins & Peterson (2021), change agents are the actors that promote, facilitate, champion, coordinate, and implement change in an organization (p.2). Women in managerial positions in organizations are linked to the changes in the structures that contribute to gender inequality (Peterson, 2014, p.399).One of the strategies that women can employ in their roles as change agents is advocating for equal pay for men and women working the same job and level in the organization. Women in managerial positions can influence how much women earn through various mechanisms, such as supporting policies that enhance gender equality (van Hek & van der Lippe, 2019, p.2). Women can also support each other in advocating for policies that empower women. Olayanju (2020) argues that women supporting each other is a major driving force for change (p.2). Women can support each other in pushing for their inclusion in the organization and communities within the community. According to Barragan et al. (2017), women use the inclusion strategy to solve issues facing other women through training programs, thus enabling them to overcome their weaknesses (p.323).

Another strategy used by women in their role as change agents is educating women to equip them with different skills that can be leveraged to get employment or start businesses. Ceretti & Bertini (2020) argue that providing life skills and vocational training helps women get higher-skilled jobs and increases their skills (p.3). Therefore, women in leadership positions in organizations can focus on introducing training programs that equip them with skills needed for promotion to higher positions. Subsequently, women can also focus on women empowerment as part of their strategy in their role as change agents. A study by Hobbins et al. (2022) established that encouraging women to consider looking for advancement in the organization helps promote equal opportunities for women in organizations (218). Empowering women is beneficial to women and helps societies develop and grow faster (Yadav & Kumar,2021,p.36). Therefore, women’s empowerment programs can be supported by the community and other stakeholders, such as human rights activists, and can lead to a significant change in how women are treated in organizations and societies.

 References

Barragan, S., Paludi, M. I., & Mills, A. (2017). Top women managers as change agents in the MACHISTA context of Mexico. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 36(4), 321–339. https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-08-2016-0065

Ceretti, A., & Bertini, C. (2020, January 6). Women and girls as change agents. Chicago Council on Global Affairs. https://globalaffairs.org/research/report/women-and-girls-change-agents

Dahmen-Adkins, J., & Peterson, H. (2021). Micro Change Agents for Gender Equality: Transforming European Research Performing Organizations. Frontiers in Sociology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.741886

Hobbins, J., Kristiansen, E., & Carlström, E. (2022). Women, leadership, and change – navigating between contradictory cultures. NORA – Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 31(3), 209–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/08038740.2022.2098377

Olayanju, J. B. (2020, January 12). Women in leadership: Practical strategies to drive change in 2020 & beyond. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliabolayanju/2020/12/31/women-in-leadership-practical-strategies-to-drive-change-in-2020–beyond/#18774cc26add

Peterson, H. (2014). “Someone needs to be first”: Women Pioneers as Change Agents in Higher Education Management. Gender Transformation in the Academy, 395–413. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1529-212620140000019018

van Hek, M., & van der Lippe, T. (2019). Are female managers agents of change or cogs in the machine? An assessment with three-level manager-employee linked data. European Sociological Review. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcz008

Yadav, A., & Kumar, N. (2021). The Role of Women in Today’s Society: A Review Akshatha. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 9(6). https://doi.org/chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.questjournals.org/jrhss/papers/vol9-issue6/Ser-1/

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Discussion Board prompt: According to your readings, what are some strategies that women can employ in their roles as change agents? Share one resource that details one or more of these strategies.

Resources: https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=617173a5-3054-42a4-8c1f-049e693465ec%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=136830381&db=sih

** You can also use peer-reviewed articles from Shapiro Library***

APA 7th edition
Times New Roman 12
3 -4 paragraphs
Due Thursday 9/7/2023
*** In-text citations with page numbers***
References
Please make sure this prompt is answered entirely