One must assume that women are equally motivated to become 'of the corporation'. There has not as yet been any proof that women have the same motivations as men in relative numbers to become corporate leaders. The article hints at feminist wanting access to 'change the corporation' so women dominate by 'right'.
Men and women who have worked hard to achieve their goals don't want their positions minimised and devalued by the feminist ideology of employment by 'right', when they got their positions through knowledge, experience and years of dedication. The last thing you want at the top of any organisation is an appointed victim for representation. Corporate logos are eagles and hawks on shields not the hammer and sickle. We already know what happened to that one. It got flushed through it's own incompetence.

Biddy: "Perhaps the boys should drop out of this discussion - it's not about them, it's about the women who prefer to cast off their constituency once they appear to have triumphed in the cock-pit that is corporate life! Women who act in this way warrant the criticism that jocelynne made."

Perhaps the girls should drop out of this discussion - it's not about them it's about the men who are trying to get a job done whilst waiting for the inevitable knife in the back from some woman's proxy.

Isn't it funny that women want to exclude men from any discussion of gender and the politics of gender relationships? It's just as well they're women and can't be called sexist, eh?

Antiseptic - please don't confuse a comment by one woman with that of the rest of us. Women, like men are individuals first and the similarities between the genders by far outweighs the differences. The last thing we need is for men to opt out of any discussion on gender equality. Many of the issues that affect women's careers also impact on many men - at least those who want to spend some time with their families or have some semblance of a life outside work. Not to the same degree though.

Rather than women harping on about how those few women who have made it to the top are towing the "male" line we should be commending them on their obvious talents and holding them up as role models. As time goes on more and more women will be accepted onto Corporate Boards based on the examples provided by those who are paving the way today. The same will apply to minority groups. Compared to the situation 40 years ago huge progress has been made. Eventually there will be sufficient numbers of women in a position to make changes in the power structure but at present we just aren't there yet. Would like to see the demise of breakfast meetings though!

It’s a long time since I’ve come across an OLO gender commentary section with so many great posts by women. Well done.

It would be nice to think that women who successfully climb the corporate ladder will turn around and give a hand up to others. However, this is unlikely happen. It’s lonely at the top, but for women it can be twice as lonely because they don’t have a female corporate culture or history to draw support from. This makes them less – rather than more – likely to blaze a trail for other women.

Also, social change of any kind is rarely initiated from the top down. Social struggles are almost always fought from the bottom up. From my own experience of corporate life, the women who made it to the stratospheric echelons tended to be more politically conservative, which tends to favour maintaining hierarchical status quos, not changing them

R0bert

‘[The author] appears to see feminism in terms of advancing women rather than seeking a society where individuals can prosper according to their individual talents and drive.’

I believe you’re putting the proverbial cart before the horse. Feminism IS about advancing women. While it’s nice to work towards the sort of society you describe, history has shown that women can’t afford to sit around waiting for that to happen. Besides … for every man today who can hug his son without shame or is not afraid to take an afternoon off work to go to a school function, the ghosts of women activists past have helped to change social gender attitudes to make those male privileges possible.

Biddy

‘Perhaps the boys should drop out of this discussion - it's not about them.’

This is an inappropriate, sexist and impractical suggestion – and I couldn’t agree with you more!!

Many men – even the progressive ones – do have a maddening habit of seeing women’s social struggles as being all about men, which often means women’s energies are taken up having to put out male-ego fires instead of addressing the issues at hand.

MLK
"This is an inappropriate, sexist and impractical suggestion – and I couldn’t agree with you more!!"

I'm wondering if this is a sign of honesty in feminism?