Say which opinions you agree or disagree with. Explain why.

Women are still failing to fulfil their potential in the male-dominated world of business and technology.

In recent years, a handful of women have succeeded in making it to the head of the board room table at the big financial and technology companies.

However, those who have made it to the top of their professions are still rare exceptions.

Are women failing to live up to their potential in the business world? Who do you think is the most influential woman in business? Do you think that women still face formidable obstacles to doing well in their careers?

I would say that the only obstacle that women are facing is their obsession in trying to become “equals” to the male gender. We are not equal, we never will be (biologically speaking and taking evolution into consideration). So why can’t we all just let it go and move on? As a woman, I aim to do the best I can in my professional

life, rather than try to live up to a long-term myth.

Rana Jawad, Belgium

I have a part-time job that I thoroughly enjoy and am respected and appreciate for, get to spend time with my son for half the working week, spend time with my friends and mum during the day. Who isn’t fulfilling their potential? I’ve never been happier. My husband leaves for work before 8 am and returns after 6 pm. He can be on call and has to deal with problems all day! Yes, he is vastly better paid than me, but he often says he would swap places. Why is that considered as “doing better”? Keep your high flying career – I’m doing just fine!

Catherine, UK

I would happily stay at home and be a house-husband so my wife could further her career. Unfortunately, she studied archaeology and has no career. People looking for equality should try the academic environment. Even in my field (physics and engineering) people are judged on intelligence and ability, not gender.

NB, UK

I’m 30 and entered the business world with no opinion on whether a man or a women was more suited to a particular role. I worked for several years in an American corporation and the senior management roles there were equally split male/female – it was a non-issue. Where now I work is very different however – a large steel firm, senior management is all male and in their late fifties, women are viewed as administrators and secretaries only and often referred to as “girls”.

Nick, UK

Whilst women of around 30-45 of age are of that generation where they felt they had to “have it all” and success is measured by career progression, I think women just starting out in professional life of my generation will make quality of life choices. We have realised the goal in life is happiness which is gained by finding your true potential and achieving it, not “getting to the top at all cost”.

Deborah, UK

Choice is the key. As a man, it seems that I do not have the choice of staying at home to raise the children, see them at sports day, read bed-time stories, or help them through difficult times. I see them in the morning as I iron my shirt before going to work and at weekends – it is not enough. Women have total choice, there’s an end to it – and good luck to them. They have a good deal. The debate should now focus on men for a change.

James Millar, England

If a woman thinks that being female is automatic justification for a board room position, perhaps it’s time they considered the millions of men who also don’t get the top jobs either. At least women have the choice to revert to a more traditional family role – what choice does the average man have?

Paul, UK

The main issue isn’t a high flying executives. Most women earn low wages doing essential but often undervalued jobs. Many also have to cram in caring for their kids, as do some men. We need better pay and status for low paid women. And we need more support for all working parents, especially better and cheaper childcare. By the way, I’m a man with no kids, so some of us see beyond our own wallets!

Ben Drake, York, UK

It’s interesting to note that it’s the men in this column saying women don’t have a problem. My experience has shown that it is very hard for an intelligent and self-confident woman to climb the ladder in the same way a man does. I work in the technology field and the discomfort that men feel with my knowledge and skills is quite obvious. Just the fact that it is still women who must choose between career and children says that we have not reached parity.

Lesley, USA

I would suggest that it is not women who are less likely to succeed, but mothers. If a male employee took days off without giving notice, because his child was sick, and then rushed home at finishing time to pick the kids up from a childminder, then he would be less likely to be promoted too. The people who succeed are the ones who put in the extra work, and often mothers are unable to do this. This is due to their choices.

Fay, UK

VOCABULARY

1. childcare, n. the care of children, esp. when parents are at work,

e.g. childcare facilities for working parents

childcarer, n

childminder, n. (BrE) a person, usu. a woman, who is paid to care for

children while their parents are at work. A childminder usu. does this in his

or her own home.

Cf: babysitter, n. (esp. AmE also sitter) a person who takes care of babies

or children while their parents are away from home and is usu. paid to do

this.

e.g. I can’t find a babysitter for tonight.

2. climb the ladder make progress in a career or an organization,

e.g. to move up/climb the social ladder, the career ladder

3. cram (in) (smth) into/onto smth, v. to push or force smb/smth into a small space;

move into a small space with the result that is full.

e.g. I could never cram in what she does in a day. We all crammed into his car. Three

meetings crammed into one morning.

4. environment, n. 1. the conditions that affect the behaviour and development of

smb/smth; the physical conditions that smb/smth exists in,

e.g. a pleasant working/learning environment. An unhappy home environment can

affect a child’s behaviour.

2. (the) the natural world in which people, animals and plants live.

e.g. pollution of the environment

environmental, adj. e.g. environmental issue/group

environmentalist, n. environmentalism, n.

environmentally, adv.

5. focus (on smth) v. 1. to give attention, effort, etc. to one particular subject,

situation, or person rather than another,

e.g. The discussion focused on three main problems. The visit helped focus world

attention on the plight of the refugees.

2. (of eyes, a camera, etc.) to adapt or be adjusted so that things

can be seen clearly.

e.g. In this scene, the camera focuses on the actor’s face. He focused his eyes on her.

focused, adj. with your attention directed to what you want to do; with very

clear aims

unfocused, adj. 1. (esp. of eyes) not looking at a particular thing or person; not

having been focused.

2. (of plans, work, etc.) not having a clear aim or purpose; not

well organized or clear, e.g. unfocused questions

6. formidable, adj. 1. very great and frightening; causing anxiety, fearful respect, etc.,

e.g. His mother is a formidable lady.

2. difficult to defeat or deal with; needing much effort to succeed

against,

e.g. a formidable enemy. The examination paper contained several formidable

questions

formidably, adj.

7. further, v. to help (smth) advance or succeed,

e.g. This success should further your chances of promotion.

furtherance, n. (of) (fml) development; continuation,

e.g. In furtherance of their aim of improving the school, they are building a new set of

science classrooms.

8. high-flying, adj. 1. very successful,

e.g. a high-flying career woman.

2. that flies very high in the air

high-flyer,-flier, n. a person who has the desire and ability to be very

successful in their job or their studies,

e.g. academic high-flyers

9. lead, n. 1. a guiding suggestion or example,

e.g. I’ll follow your lead. We’re waiting for the conductor to give us a lead.

2. (the) the position ahead of all others,

e.g. The English team was in the lead (= winning the game). Japan has taken the lead

in car production (= is producing more than others). It’s up to someone to take

the lead in condemning these injustices (= to do so first, and set a good

example to smb.)

lead, adj. being most important or a leader,

e.g. a lead part in a play, a lead singer in a pop group

10. live up (to), v. to keep to the high standards of,

e.g. Did the film live up to your expectations? (=was it as good as you expected?) Do

you always live up to your principles?

11. long-term, adj, n. (concerning) a long period of time; (for or in) the distant future,

e.g. a long-term plan, the long-term effects of the new drug. In the long term we aim

to train hundreds of medical workers.

Opp :short-term, adj. lasting a short time; designed only for a short period of

time in the future.

12. make it 1. to be successful in your career,

e.g. He never really made it as an actor.

2. to succeed in reaching a place in time, esp. when this is difficult.

3. to be able to be present at a place.

4. to survive after a serious accident or illness; to deal successfully with a

difficult experience,

e.g. The doctors think he’s going to make it.

13. parity, n (with) the state or quality of being equal, e.g. in level, position, amount,

etc,

e.g. We have achieved parity with our competitors.

Opp :disparity, n (fml) (between)

14. promote, v 1. (to) to give smb a higher position or rank,

e.g. The young officer was promoted to captain.

Opp: demote
2. to help actively in forming or arranging (a business, concert, play,

etc.),

e.g. to promote a boxing match/a bill in Parliament.

3. to bring (goods) to public notice in order to encourage people to

buy,

e.g. a big advertising campaign to promote our new toothpaste.

4. (fml) to help in the growth or development of,

e.g. Milk promotes health. New efforts to promote world peace.

promoter, n. a person whose job is to promote events, activities, goods, etc.

promotion, n 1. (an) advancement in rank or position,

e.g. There are good chances of promotion in this firm.

2. (an) activity intended to help the development or success of

smth, esp. of a product for sale,

e.g. a video promotion of a pop group.

3. a product that is being promoted,

e.g. our latest promotions.

promotional, adj

15. put in, v to do (work) or spend (time) esp. for a purpose,

e.g. She put in an hour’s work on her project.

16. revert (to), v 1. to go back to (a former, usu. undesirable condition or habit),

e.g. He’s stopped taking drugs now, but he may revert to taking them again;

2. go back to (a former subject of conversation),

e.g. I’d like to revert to our earlier point about our export trade.

reversion, n (to) (fml) a return to a former (usu. undesirable) condition or habit, e.g. the danger of a reversion to anarchy in the region.

17. split, v 1. to (cause to) divide along a length, esp. with force or by a blow or tear.

2. (up, into) to divide into separate parts,

e.g. to split up the article into several sections.

3. (between) to divide among people; share,

e.g. Let’s split the cost three ways/between the three of us.

4. (up, into) to separate into opposing groups or parties,

e.g. Now, children, you must split up into two groups for this game. The government

is deeply split up on this issue.

5. (up, with) to end a friendship, marriage, etc.

e.g. Have you heard that John and Ann split up?

split, n 1. (in) a cut or break made by splitting.

2. (in) a division or separation, esp. within a usually undivided group,

e.g. Arguments over policy led to a split in the party.

3. a division and sharing out, e.g. a three-way split (= between 3

people)

splitting, adj (of a headache) very severe.

18. swap, v (also swop) (round, over, for, with) (infml) to exchange (goods or

position), usu. so that each person gets what they want,

e.g. I swapped coats with her. Shall we swap round/over places? I swapped three of

my stamps for three of hers.

swap, n (infml) 1. an exchange,

e.g. Let’s do a swap.

2. a thing that has been or may be exchanged.

19. undervalue, v to have too low an opinion of the value or importance of,

e.g. She felt that the company undervalued her/her work.

Remember the pattern: under-+V=>V in which under- means “insufficiently,

ncompletely”: undercooked, underdeveloped, underfeed, underpay, underuse,

etc.

Syn.: underrate, v, underestimate, v

Opp.: overrate, v have too high an opinion of

overestimate, v e.g. I think you’re overestimating his abilities.

NOTES

1. boardroom, n a room in which the meetings of the board of a company (= the

group of people who control it) are held

2. executive, n 1. a person who has an important job as a manager of a company or

an organization,

e.g. advertising/business/sale, etc. executives; a chief/senior/top executive in a

computer firm.

2. a group of people who run a company or an organization,

e.g. The union executive has/have get to reach a decision.

3. CEO (abbr) chief executive officer (the person with the highest rank in a business

company)

4. househusband, n a man who stays at home to cook, clean, take care of the

children, etc. while his wife or partner goes out to work

Cf.: housewife, n

Syn.: Mr. Mom (derog AmE)

5. management, n the people who run and control a business or similar organization, e.g. junior/middle/senior management; a management decision/job

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