Focus on Gender Equality from page 19
noticeably out of place , as a young female lawyer and as a woman of color . I questioned whether I would ever feel like I belonged in this industry . I am happy to report that although I still experience those moments , it has become increasingly more common that I am not the only woman in the room , or the only person of color — that is progress and I celebrate it .
The second thing that struck me is the number of men here today . To the men , your presence speaks volumes . You may not always know the power you hold by simply being present , but society and political , financial and business institutions — indeed the long arc of history — have all bent in your favor . To support an event like today ’ s is a deliberate act on your part to help recalibrate that arc . You affirm me and the many other women in this room today by your presence , and , importantly , you affirm that the heavy lift of seeking gender parity is not one to be borne by women alone . You are an ally in that fight .
But , the knowledge and hope that we ’ ve gained today are not enough ; and truth be told , events like this — as necessary as they are , are not sufficient . Achieving gender parity and fighting unconscious bias requires deliberate , thoughtful action . Sometimes , it demands action through grand gestures . But where the rubber meets the road , where the lasting progress will be made in achieving gender parity in the restructuring industry is in the decisions we make day to day , moment by moment . The best sponsors and mentors I ’ ve had , like Gary Holtzer and Ronit
Berkovich , understand that meaningful change is the result of persistent , small , accumulated changes over time . Acts like copying into client emails the female lead associate or junior partner when others forget to do so ; highlighting her expertise and capabilities ; giving credit to her ideas . Helping her to be seen when so often she is left unseen and her contributions are not appreciated .”
Finally , Fellow Gary Holtzer of Weil Gotshal closed the evening by sharing some of his own practices , such as entertaining clients and staff at concerts , which are more universally appealing to men and women , rather than sporting events . He also encouraged attendees to “ let others run past you ” and “ be all right with that .”
Dr . Bohnet ’ s presentation was recorded and is posted on the Fellows-only section of the website . The one-hour program is highly recommended for all Fellows and is an approved course for new Fellows and leadership to include as part of their diversity training certifications .
The recording can be found at this link .
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