More than a decade since WLC’s debut in 2007 challenges to women’s advancement persist. Despite measurable strides toward greater gender equality in many areas, women remain underrepresented in most leadership levels, especially senior leadership positions, and the roles that lead to such positions across American institutions – government and politics, business and industry, the professions, academia and nonprofit organizations.

Rising social and political activism around the globe underscores the urgency of what many commentators call the unfinished revolution in human rights – women’s equality. Beyond its roots in moral and social justice the movement for gender equality has become a strategic mandate to maximize every organization’s and every institution’s potential ‒ because of the enormous economic value of women’s leadership.

Study after study has shown a strong relationship between gender diversity in leadership and better economic performance, increased productivity, greater innovation, better decision-making and more satisfactory work cultures that boost employee retention and satisfaction. Although some researchers correlate gender diversity with greater success primarily in countries and industries that already value gender diversity, these same researchers acknowledge the growing acceptance across global business of the value and competitive advantage of gender diversity.

As the journey for gender equality progresses, the demand for and the demands of capable women leaders are growing. Bottom line, women’s equality is not a woman’s issue or a man’s issue, but a leadership development issue.

The expanding appeal of WLC shows America’s enormous need for – and women’s thirst for – leadership education resources. This is why now could not be a more relevant and compelling time for FWLE’s mission!

Equalizing the playing field for women and men requires long-term systematic action by all of us on many different fronts and levels throughout society. Generations of gender bias, discriminatory practices and male-dominated work and social cultures have resulted in many complex structural barriers to women’s advancement – such as unequal access for women to constructive role models, formal and informal education, mentoring, influential networks and relationships of power, and avenues for upward mobility.

Education and development of women at all levels – particularly for leadership across the board – are central to overcoming these obstacles. While organizations bear responsibility for equalizing opportunities for women as well as men, women must take charge of shaping themselves to become their best ‒ fully ready to seize opportunities to advance and lead with excellence. FWLE seeks to provide women the means to do so.

Now is the time for decisive action to break the visible and invisible barriers to women in leadership ‒ for the sake of human rights, fairness, the full use of human talent and capital, but most importantly, all the positive value prepared women bring to humanity. FWLE is taking such action – by preparing more women leaders. And more women leaders will beyond doubt generate even more women leaders as we march toward true equality in and for a better world!