Good morning from Laguna Niguel, where we are hosting the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit.
Power is relative thing. My grandmother wanted to be a teacher but her father, an immigrant tram driver in Glasgow, said no. So she worked in a shoe store instead, later writing guest columns for local newspapers while raising six kids. To me, she was a powerful woman. But except for a brief period as a young pregnant widow, she never controlled her own money. Her message to me and my sisters: Don’t let that happen to you.
The 100 powerful women on our 27th annual Most Powerful Women list, published earlier this month, are emblematic of how far women have come. And this year’s three-day summit is an opportunity for women leaders of all professional backgrounds to talk about AI, health, the election and other topics. You can check out the agenda and join us for a livestream of the mainstage sessions.
We’re having these conversations at a time of flux for gender progress. A growing number of women are enrolling in college and entering the workforce, determined to fare better than their mothers and grandmothers in achieving career success. At the same time, men are falling behind, with a steady decline in labor force participation rates and desire to work.
We can’t ignore demographic shifts: Gen Z workers know they’re unlikely to equal, never mind surpass, their parents’ standard of living. Add in growing concern about declining fertility rates, now so low in places like South Korea that sales of dog strollers outpace baby strollers. Much debate has ensued about how to get women to have more babies, most notably among men like Elon Musk and JD Vance.
Meanwhile, women are making progress in leadership roles—29 percent of C-suite positions are now held by women, according to a recent McKinsey report, compared with just 17 percent in 2015. The UN issued a report a few days ago, documenting progress but a long way to parity.
As I reminded myself after seeing that all seven of the recipients of the Nobel Prize in science this year were men, it’s an evolution. With more women entering scientific studies and jobs, the Nobel committee with hopefully recognize the contributions that women bring to their professions.
For employers, the key will be to find ways to engage. It starts with smart conversations among those who are shaping the future. Our speakers include General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Seattle Storm co-owner Sue Bird and Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo. I hope you’ll join us.
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Diane Brady
diane.brady@fortune.com
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