I cannot believe that one woman — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — could have such a profoundly significant reputation for the ages and for all ages. She made me so proud to be a woman. She defended women’s right to work and be regarded on equal status as men. I marveled how she raised two children while working around the clock and how she leapt over the many obstacles put in her way because of her gender. She was wicked smart, wicked kind and a wicked role model. Having experienced many gender-based obstacles along the way myself, I admire her even more.

Her passing last Friday night made me think of two things in particular — two questions I insisted on asking in a survey we did at Weber Shandwick on gender equality in the executive ranks. I was very proud of this thought leadership and another one on the Female CEO Premium that essentially showed that when women have a highly-regarded female CEO as a role model, they are more likely to stay at their companies and are more motivated to strive to rise to the top themselves. 

1. In our study among global executives on gender equity in the executive ranks, we asked what could be done to make a stronger business case for women rising to the highest levels. 42% of global executives agreed with this statement: “More positive examples of women CEOs in young adult books.” I think that some people thought this was an outlier-type question that I came up with and one that could be omitted in the interest of saving respondents’ time. But upon reading about RBG’s death, I realize how right I was. I have read and heard so many young people touched by reading about her in young adult books: I Dissent, The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Biography Book for New Readers, Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, A is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World. And a New Little Golden Book on RBG is slated for January, 2021. Maybe timed strategically for Inauguration Day! Looking back, I recall doing some research on books for young people on professional women and found very few comparably. Hopefully we will now be inspired to create a whole new genre for business/professonial women who have done the extraordinary.

2. Another question that I seeded in the questionnaire had its roots in something my female friends and colleagues and I often spoke privately. Might we have made it higher in our careers if we had only been men? could never find any data to back up if most women thought this way. But I got it once the survey was completed. Nearly one out of two global female executives surveyed — 47% — believe that their careers would have been more successful if they were men.

RBG was an icon and inspiration for us all. She beat the odds, was a trailblazer for all (men and women). May she rest in peace.