Women in Policy

Our March 9 event was on the topic of Women in Policy

With the latest election results, Silicon Valley, California has the distinction of having two women representatives in the Senate as well as the speaker of the house. This month's conversation will focus on having women in policy at the local, state, regional and national levels and their impact on our business and personal lives. We will feature the personal and professional stories of the women policy-makers on our panel and share advice on how best to navigate the political landscapes to make the kind of sustainable impact that benefit men and women, in business and in life.

We wish to thank and acknowledge our speakers for their candid and inspiring practical advice on how to support women in forging change at home, in our communities, and at work.

Facilitator Leslee Guardino founder of the Women's High Tech Coalition and Partner at Canyon Snow
Panelist Cindy Chavez, former Vice-Mayor, City of San Jose
Panelist Kathleen King, City of Saratoga City Council
Panelist Liz Kniss, Supervisor, County of Santa Clara
Panelist Bev Strand, Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Worldwide Diversity & Inclusion, Cisco, Member, California Commission on the Status of Women.
Panelist Michelle Wright-Conn, Cisco Global Policy and Government Affairs

Below is additional information and advice on how to support women forging change at the policy and business level:

There has been little change in the last 40 years:

• Women are still not earning at the same levels as men.
• Women are still balancing home and work challenges, being required to do more, multi-task better, work longer hours.
• Women bring a different perspective to policy: It's not just a gender difference, a woman's overall experiences, views and approach are different.

Advice on how to support women forging change:

• Consider the globalization of talent and how it impacts our policy, personal and business perspectives.
• Be exposed to diverse perspectives.
• Take on a challenge, and help others also be one inch taller as they do the same.
• A woman's more collaborative approach might better address the war, healthcare and image issues currently posed at the national level.
• Perhaps adopting a mandate on the percentage of women in office would have a positive impact on policy, much like it had for Rwanda.
• Take the initiative to find out who is running for which office, whether they're men or women and make a point of supporting women and men forging positive change. Your voice matters!
• Be more confident in the abilities of other women.

Advice for yourself, as you lead at work and in community:

• Leverage the more intuitive, more self-aware nature women might have.
• Support technology, and women in support innovation and technology at the policy level.
• Think outside the box; view things with a different lens.
• Expect to be treated with dignity and respect, and make a stand when this is not the case, for yourself, for your colleagues, for those who will come after you.
• Doing the right thing for people generally is also doing the right thing for the economy.