i3 - September/October 2019 - 11

Q

in AI development and ensure algorithms
are not biased against women. Companies
that use AI technology in the recruiting and
promotion process report improvements in
gender diversity. AI could be applied to the
analysis of internal workforce data to make
recommendations that would help narrow
gaps in recruiting, retention and advancement of women. AI and other technology can
be used to lighten the burden of home and
family care, which disproportionately falls on
women and can hinder their ability to invest
in demanding careers. One app to watch is
Textio. It uses AI to analyze job descriptions
to help neutralize language that might deter
a diverse set of candidates. For example,
terms such as "aggressive" may prevent
many women from applying, so you might
replace that word with "passionate."

As an advocate
for women, what
are your priorities
going forward?

A We're seeing an evolution of talk-

ing about the problem to now looking for ways to activate solutions
for change. Equality is a choice. The
good news is that we generated a
lot of awareness and conversations
around the need for change and
parity. The challenge is that we still
have a lot of progress to make. For
example, less than 7% of CEOs at
Fortune 500 companies are women
and less than 3% of venture capital
funding goes to female founders.
Businesses will see a return on
equality when they create measurements and solutions. Some ways to
get there are to implement policies
that will advance equality, such as
equal paid parental leave to help
normalize caregiving in the workplace for both sexes; practicing life
stage profiling and offering flexible
schedules; ban asking about salary
history to close the door on the
wage gap for women; and flip the
balance by making sure you have at
least 30% representation of women
across all levels.
benefit from having a network of wellconnected peers across different groups,
women who also have an inner circle of
close female contacts are more likely to land
executive positions with greater authority
and higher pay, while there was no link found
for the success of men in terms of the gender
composition of their inner circles.

Q Have you seen changes globally?
A We are starting to see a lot of people

talking about it because it is a popular
conversation. But we are seeing a lot of
committed leaders truly holding hands and
going together. And it's scary and a little
uncomfortable but that is the stage we are

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Q How does the FQ use bootcamps to
achieve equality and gender diversity in
their workforce?
A We are advancing equality in the workplace
and in media through next-step solutions for
change, measurements for accountability
and helping companies become equality fit.
Hacking Equality Bootcamps offer customized experiences to provide companies
with the tools they need to become equality
fit - both in principle and in practice. Our
bi-annual publication called the Modern
Guide to Equality is a one-of-a-kind playbook
featuring the latest research, case studies
and expert leadership interviews to make
parity a reality in the workplace. Together with
ANA [Association of National Advertisers],
we developed and are leading the #SeeHer
movement to accurately portray women
and girls in media so that by 2020, they see
themselves reflected as they truly are.
in right now. I always say, "walk the talk".
But not just on the outside but from inside
out. I think corporations are realizing that
they can create the greatest campaigns
and get attention, create awareness and
get awards, but you have to walk the walk
and you have got to be equality fit from
the inside out. It's a process. It's a journey,
it's a step change, but when you do it all
together, it's less scary.

Q What is the role of technology in creating

a more diverse environment?
A As companies use AI applications to make
hiring and promotion decisions, it's important to increase the proportion of women

Q Can you tell us about your plans
at CES 2020?

A We're thrilled to be working with CES.

Within the lounge, we'll be featuring key
female leaders and up-and-coming female
leaders in tech. We will feature equality
partners and do our annual floor tour with
more than 200 women in official partnership with CES. We'll also be working with
CTA throughout the year to help advance
equality for women in tech. One of the most
important things for us is focusing on the
future and creating this pathway for evolution and change. And that is how we truly
make a difference in the world.

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9/9/19 6:34 PM
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i3 - September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - September/October 2019
