I am headed to Davos, Switzerland this morning for the World Economic Forum. This is my first time attending the gathering of political leaders and CEOs so I’m somewhat unsure what to expect—except on one front: women will be scarce.
The conference is known for its male-dominated attendance, and this year is no different. Nearly 80% of the 3,000 delegates will be men. That’s woefully low but actually represents quite a bit of progress. In 2002, just 9% of attendees were female. Ninety percent of panels this year will include at least one woman—meaning 10% of panels feature none. That’s somewhat astonishing considering the backlash all-male panels have received recently.
This year’s theme is “Responsive and Responsible Leadership” so I’m eager to see how topics like female leadership and gender equality figure into the conversation.
If you’re also attending, please drop me a line. Among the masses of men, I’ll be easy to find.