Women Are Now 50% of the Workforce In October 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported women held 49.9% of all nonfarm labor jobs and 51.5% of high-paying management and professional positions.
Women Are Earning More Than Men The average American woman is expected to earn more than the average American male by 2028. In the U.S, 51% of private wealth is currently controlled by women; they account for over 50% of all stock ownership and control more than 60% of all personal wealth.
Women Are More Educated Than Men For every two men who graduate from college or get a higher degree, three women do. By 2021, women will earn 58.0% of undergraduate degrees, 60% of master's degrees and 54% of doctoral degrees
Women are downtown Burlington's most important customers. Why? We are blessed with the region's highest concentration of women's clothing and accessories stores, from national brands in the privately-owned shopping mall, Burlington Town Center, to locally-owned women's boutiques on Church Street and throughout downtown. Women are also the force behind the decisions families make about attending our popular festivals and events -- from Discover Jazz to First Night Burlington. A substantial share of our downtown workforce are women. While we don't know the exact percentage, there's no question in my mind women are in the majority.
"We are reading clues all the time.
If the clues say 'bad space,' we don't come back."
Dr. Carol Becker of Hamline University
To keep our female customers happy and coming back, we have to listen to what they're saying, and deliver on it. Women clearly have higher standards than men. They demand environments that look and feel both clean and safe. They demand clean restrooms where they can perform a range of tasks -- from checking make up and hair, to changing a diaper or managing the bathroom needs of multiple children. They demand parking garages that are well-lit and free of trash and graffiti. They feel unsafe when they pass groups of panhandlers who are being aggressive, especially if they are walking alone. We put our downtowns in peril when we don't attend to the needs of women who want to enjoy our downtown. "We are reading clues all the time," says Dr. Carol Becker of Hamline University and proponent of including women in design decisions. "If the clues say "bad space," we don't come back." Go to any popular public space and you'll see that women determine whether that space is safe. If at least half of the people in a public space are female, you know that space is safe. If there are fewer than 20%, it's probably a space you want to avoid.
David Feehan, downtown consultant and past president of the International Downtown Association, has been advocating for cities to bring women into the decision making process before public infrastructure is designed and built. See this PowerPoint presentation, Design Your Business District for Women.
"If you want a vibrant downtown,
you first have to make women feel comfortable there.
Everything else — families, men — will then flow naturally."
David Feehan, Civitas Consultants
In his forthcoming book, "Design Downtowns for Women -- Men Will Follow," Feehan writes "if you want a vibrant downtown, you first have to make women feel comfortable there. Everything else — families, men — will then flow naturally." Adds Feehan, “Women are such a powerful force, but where are they in terms of decision making?” Feehan's right. Women are our most important customers, but men are still designing our downtowns. Nationwide statistics support his point.
--37% of working urban planners are women
--24% of architects are women
--10% of civil engineers are women
--3% of all engineers are women
A quick review of our region's landscape and urban designers, architects, planners engineers and construction firms in our community and you'll discover the majority are male. Even the federal and state agencies we interact with (Vtrans, Federal Highway Administration) are predominantly male.
On the Marketplace, we've been intentional about our design of tree grates and drains to make sure they're not "high heel catchers." But we lost ground when the Pearl Street improvements included the addition of uneven granite blocks in green belts.
If women are the new economic powerhouse, what is happening to men? What does it mean to our society and to economies around the world? If you want to dig deeper on this subject, check out the Hanna Rosin's book, The End of Men: And the Rise of Women.
Read more:
Woman Power: The Rise of the Sheconomy - TIME
she-conomy.com, a guy's guide to marketing to women, created by Stephanie Holland, President/Executive Creative Director, Holland and Holland Advertising
