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We live in a society that appears to be very male dominated with some disheartening statistics about men and women in regards to finance and the workplace. Women make up only 11% of billionaires worldwide. Men are more likely than women to be seen as leaders. Gender bias against women is still prevalent in the workplace, particularly with jobs and activities requiring intellectual ability. Men are more likely to be given more opportunities, such as promotions, funding and awards, despite women being equally qualified. Women are more likely to be given critical feedback than men and the criticism towards them is more likely to be personal compared to criticism towards men. Women are less likely to be in positions of power across all fields.
Despite all of this, data shows that women have the abilities and qualities to have success in their endeavours. In celebration of women’s history month and the recent International Women’s Day, this article highlights 15 empowering facts about women which show women can have an advantage to become successful high-achievers in the workplace, finance, starting a business, learning, personal growth and relationships.
1. Women are more likely to be interested personal development and education
Women tend to be a much bigger demographic for the personal development industry than men. In 2016, research found that women were making up 70% of the self-improvement market! HBR also found that women practice personal development more than men do. Women are also more likely to seek out mental health help as well as sooner than men.
Statistics also show that women read more than men do and more women than men tend to be avid readers. Women buy 80% of all novels. As Ian McEwan said, “When women stop reading, the novel will be dead.”
2. Women tend to be overqualified
Research has found that women tend to be overqualified in their positions compared to men in the same positions. Women also tend to invest more in education and preparing for a job than men.
Part of the problem is that women are less likely to apply to a job they don’t meet 100% of the qualifications for compared to men who tend to apply when they meet 60% of qualifications.
3. Women-owned businesses are growing more than 2.5 times faster than the national average
The number of women-owned business more than double over the past 20 years according to a 2017 study from American Express OPEN. Businesses owned by women of color grew at a rate of 467%! The study also found that women-led startups tend to be strong businesses compared to those started by men.
Despite women-led startups given less investment, Boston Consulting Group found that they generate more revenue. Women-led startups generated 78 cents for every dollar of funding compared to 31 cents for startups founded by men.
4. Women score higher than men in most leadership skills
Harvard Business Review conducted research finding that women scored statistically significantly higher than men on a vast majority of leadership competencies measured.
Women were rated as excelling in taking initiative, acting with resilience, practicing self-development, driving for results, and displaying high integrity and honesty. They were measured to be more effective in 84% of the competencies measured.
5. Women are more productive
Women work 10% harder than men in offices, according to Hive. Both men and women completely about 66% of the tasks assigned to them however women are also assigned 10% more work than men.
The fact that they are being assigned more work yet achieving the same completion rate shows that they are being more productive.
6. Women are better investors
A Fidelity survey found that less than 9% of respondents believed women were better investors than men. However the data shows this I is a true fact. Despite the fact that Wall Street is traditionally male-dominated, four from the Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list are in finance. One of the world’s most successful investors is a woman you’ve probably never heard of, Geraldine Weiss.
A study done at Cal-Berkeley found that women outperformed men with investing and earned higher returns. It also found that women were much better savers. Men were found to be more likely to be overconfident in their ability to manage a portfolio and, on average, are more prone to impulsive behavior. Several other studies have reported similar findings.
7. Women tend to have higher emotional intelligence
Numerous studies show that women score higher in standard tests of emotion recognition, social sensitivity and empathy. Women tend to share their emotions more openly with others.
They also experience emotions more intensely, with the exception of anger. Studies have also found that women express more pro-social emotions, such as gratitude, which has been found to be linked to greater happiness.
A notable difference between the male and female brain is that the orbitofrontal cortex and deep limbic system which is involved in processing and expressing emotion is larger in the female brain.
8. Women tend to act more ethically
Research has found that women tend to act more ethically than men. Women tend to prioritize doing the right thing over pursuing pleasure. They are more likely to experience feelings of shame if they are seen to not be doing “the right thing.”
This leads women to engage in more fulfilling and impacting work which in turn brings them greater joy, peace, and contentment.
9. Women are more likely to experience intense positive emotions
Despite the fact that women are twice as likely to experience depression compared to men, women are more likely to experience intense, positive emotions. Women are also socialized to express happiness, warmth, and gratitude which allows for higher intensity of these emotions.
10. Women are more self-aware
Harvard Business Review has found that women’s self rating of self-awareness are slightly higher than men’s. They also found that direct reports, managers and peers also rated women slightly higher in self-awareness. Women are also better able to realize the importance of self-awareness for their career success and advancement.
11. Women are stronger and more resilient
Women tend to live longer than men on average. This is also true under extreme conditions. Three centuries of historical data analysis found that women are more resilient than men. They are more likely to survive and live longer under harsh conditions such as famines, enslavement, and epidemics.
12. Women are more sociable
Studies show that women have higher sociability than men and have a higher ability to connect at a deeper level with others, both men and women.
Research published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences on women’s brains have found than women are more intuitive and can analyze social situations with far more complexity than men. Women also tend to be more collaborative in the workplace in terms of arriving at a solution that works for everyone.
13. Women are better and faster learners
A European study found that women are better at remembering and learn at a faster rate than men as societies improve.
Other research has also found that women are better at learning language than men. Women tend to take a stronger interest in the culture, country and speakers of the language being learned. According to the Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, girls tend to be more motivated to learn languages than boys.
14. Women tend to work harder, have greater discipline, overdeliver and perform better
Women tend to overdeliver in the workplace as employees with higher productivity rates than men. A study found that female employees tend to work harder and longer than male employees. Professional women were also significantly more likely than their male peers to agree to the statement, “My job requires that I work very hard.” Women also perform better financially when leading startups.
Research also shows that girls and young women tend to also work harder, have more self-discipline and self-control and perform better in school.
15. Women who support women are more successful than women who don’t
Research from Harvard Business Review found that women who have an inner circle of close female contacts are more likely to get executive positions with greater authority and higher pay.
Multiple studies also show that women benefit more from collaboration than competition. Women who support each other effectively act as mentors and sponsors for one another.
If you’re a woman make sure to support your fellow women! Women are powerful, influential, and capable. The more we can support one another, the more we have the power to change the world.
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