A new study from the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University examines the women in leadership positions on the state government level. While there has been some progress in the number of women holding leadership positions in Utah, there is still room for improvement.
In the past 13 years the number of women in supervisory, managerial and leadership positions who work for the state of Utah has increased by 7%, according to a study by Utah Women & Leadership Project. In total, this means that women hold 39.3% of these jobs.
“If women are not in the top conversations, then you don't get solutions that really work in those areas. And, the research is quite clear that women and men in terms of social issues, think differently women really will think more deeply about education and healthcare and social programs and things like that," said Susan Madsen, the director of Utah Women & Leadership Project.
She said that Utah state is one of the state’s top employers, and according to Madsen, when women participate in decision making, the chosen course of action focuses more on how children and families may be impacted. This collaboration can also lead to increased financial results.
“When you have more women and men in more equal numbers on corporate boards, you see that they actually make more money," Madsen said. "In a situation like this, when you have men and women, we're made differently. Men take more risks with money than women typically do. And so when you have both at the table, you actually make better financial decisions”
Madsen hopes that this research will help bring more women into leadership roles by encouraging a workplace where women can thrive in.
This story was made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership with The Herald Journal.
