Leading women

Karen invited me today to show up at a luncheon at the Delta Meadowvale which was a part of a larger 3-day event called Leading Women.   The purpose of the conference was to highlight and honour the leadership of women of faith in various spheres of society – media, business, public service, ministry, etc.  Over 200 gathered for this event.

As a big believer in women in leadership, I made it a priority to show up for the lunch to honour eight women who were being awarded for their leadership in various sectors.  Among them, friends and colleagues Doris Olafsen, Brenda Pue, and Lorna Dueck were recognized.  The day brought me back about 19 years to when I audited a Women in Ministry course taught by Lynn Smith who I also ran into today.

So why was I only one of three men present?  (The two other men present were husbands of winners.)  Let’s get with the program, people! 

One truth that has stayed with me for years since I heard it is the idea that the issue of women in leadership is much more than a women’s issue – it crosses genders and is a problem for all of us when women aren’t empowered into leadership.  Not only are women disempowered, but men also are disadvantaged when the unique strengths of female leadership not released into our midst.  This situation crosses gender, and impacts all of us negatively.