“There’s definitely a disparity when it comes to females having positions in what we would consider leadership roles,” NAFCS Assistant Superintendent Tom Brillhart said.
Women make up 47.4% of the American workforce while only holding 42.1% of managerial positions, according to US News. While this is higher than it was just two years ago it’s still not 50%. The NAHS 50% club is a women’s leadership club led by Brillhart with the goal of closing the gap between men and women in leadership positions.
“It’s not usually a big deal, especially to guys, but it doesn’t really cross their mind that it is a problem that women in the workplace have a harder time going up in rank,” junior Ellory Coffey said. “Just bringing awareness so that people are like ‘oh yeah it is kind of weird that there’s not very many women in leadership’ and it’s like a big deal when a woman becomes a leader or the boss.”
Coffey says she joined the club because she wanted to learn how to navigate being a boss or leader as a woman. A man leading the women’s leadership club may seem contradictory, and while the club may not have a woman leader, Brillhart adds some insights about statistics and why things may be happening the way that they are.
“There are definitely barriers that we have to overcome because obviously he doesn’t totally understand what it’s like to be a woman trying to become a leader so sometimes there is a little bit of back and forth, and I am not afraid to speak up for myself when he says something that I don’t totally agree with, but he’s really nice,” Coffey said.
Brillhart says he started the club second semester last year and envisions things to grow in the next two or three years. During club meetings they work to learn about this issue and how they can empower other women outside of the club to become leaders. In April he plans to send out a google form for other girls at the school to have the chance to join the club.
“Right now we’re trying to do a different initiative every month. I think next month we’re going to try to do self defense classes after school one day,” junior Lila Waters said.
Brillhart is working to create a self defense class in the building after school in collaboration with the New Albany police department.
Waters says she joined the club also in hopes of gaining leadership skills and hoping to be able to be heard as a young woman. Meeting once a month during clubs for just 30 minutes has led to a slow start up for the club, according to Brillhart.
“We probably could be taking more steps than we’ve done right now,” Waters said. “I really do hope that the self defense thing happens.”
Brillhart adds another perspective to their meetings along with an open mind to learn from what the women in the club have to say.
“I think it’s more helpful for him sometimes than us to realize what we think about things,” Waters said.
Clubs like this and awareness on the issue can help but there still is an issue of inequality when it comes to women versus men in leadership positions.
