Press Release

Businesswomen Made 'Glacial Progress' Requiring 'Call to Action'
International Business Group Chair Calling for Changes Friday, Aug. 2 in Boston

BOSTON (July 29, 2002)-- Connie Duckworth, chair of the preeminent international businesswomen's group Committee of 200, made a "call to action" to businesses nationwide Friday, Aug. 2 in Boston, to focus on the "glacial progress" women are making to get ahead in business.

Duckworth spoke at 10 a.m. at the Simmons School of Management commencement ceremony. She focused on results from the Committee of 200's new, nationally acclaimed survey of benchmarks for businesswomen's success comparing parity and clout of men and women in business. It is the first statistically valid research report that benchmarks the comparison of businesswomen to businessmen.

The Committee of 200 (C200) is the only group in the world of women business leaders at the senior levels of business. Members must either own companies that earn at least $15 million in annual sales, or be corporate executives heading companies or division with at least $250 million in annual revenue. The group has 400 members representing 100 industries. Members focus on increasing opportunities and growth for businesswomen worldwide.

The report, released in January as the first "Annual Report on Women's Clout in Business," shows that on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being complete parity) women overall score 3.95.

It showed that despite the fact women have been entering business in significant numbers for a generation, they are still far from equal in nearly every measure of corporate success.

It showed women's progress is negligible on a number of accounts, including representation of female corporate officers and corporate board directors at Fortune 500 companies, and the fact that only 25 to 30 percent of business school enrollees are women (compared to nearly 50 percent of medical and laws school classes).

C200 members plan to release the survey each January to note progress, stalling, or slipping in the advancement of women in business.

Duckworth will speak at the Fine Arts Center of Regis College, 235 Wellesley St., Weston
The Regis Fine Arts Center is being used because it has an air-conditioned facility large enough to accommodate the large number of people attending the ceremony. Driving directions can be found at http://www.regiscollege.edu/about/ar_dir.html#DD

"Businesses desperately need intellectual capital", says Duckworth. "They are clearly underutilizing labor. Businesses must understand who parity benefits, and understand the clear link to their needs."

Duckworth retired from Goldman, Sachs & Company in 2001 after a 20-year career. While there, she was the founding chair and CEO of MuniGroup.com, an independent business entity aimed at bringing greater liquidity to the $1.5 trillion municipal bond market. She is on the graduate advisory boards of three business schools, and is a founding partner of 8 Wings Enterprise, a collective of successful women entrepreneurs that educates, advises and invests in early-stage, women-led companies.

Simmons School of Management is dedicated to the education of women for positions of power and leadership. It is the only business school in the world designed specifically for women.

» press release

contact

visit