Women Become the Majority of Workers, Reports Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Publisher of WOMEN-omics, the Website of 20-first

Paris, London, New York (PRWeb UK) April 29, 2009 -- This may be China's century in geopolitical terms, as some believe the current financial crisis marks the moment when power passes from Washington to Beijing.

But this may also be the century for women, certainly in terms of the workplace, writes Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, author of Why Women Mean Business and publisher of the new gender website, www.women-omics.com

WOMEN SUITED TO 21ST CENTURY BUSINESS

First, women have the authenticity, humility, and relationship-building skills required to lead customer-centric organisations in the 21st century world, a point made by a reformed Alpha Male consultant and author, David Flett.

He says, "Women are now in a position to lead because theirs is the only model that works in the new global business environment."

WOMEN AS THE MAJORITY OF WORKERS

Second, women may soon outnumber men in the workforce for the first time. In the US and Australia, where this trend seems most likely, more men have lost their jobs than women in part because men tend to dominate in the blue-collar industries such as construction and manufacturing that have been hardest hit by the recession.

In January, the New York Times reported that women in the workforce had already passed the 49% mark and were set to go past the 50% milestone. The Financial Times reported in April that men had lost 80% of the 5.1 million jobs gone since the start of the recession. Many women were protected in the more insulated sectors such as education and healthcare. In March 2009, women in part-time and full-time jobs exceeded men in full-time jobs in Australia, another first.

"These are potentially momentous changes", says Wittenberg-Cox, "which would put female leaders and talent at the centre-stage of business in the new century."

WOMEN AS THE MAJORITY OF TALENT

"Perhaps even more compelling is some new data on the projected number of women graduates in the future", says Wittenberg-Cox. By 2015, more than 60% of the graduates will be women in ten OECD nations, according to a recent OECD report, Higher Education to 2030. And in the UK and Sweden, the figures surpass 70%. In 2020, the figures exceed 70% in four nations: Hungary (73%), Italy (70%), UK (72%), and Sweden (76%).

"I am increasingly talking to switched-on CEOs who have come to realise the absolute business need to tap into the female talent base. There are so many highly talented women graduates and experienced women managers out there. But only now are companies realising they need to learn how to attract them to their companies and more crucially, to retain and promote them," says Wittenberg-Cox.

For the full article "Women Workers of the World", written by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox go to: http://www.women-omics.com/881-0-this-is-the-century-for-women-workers.html

ABOUT WOMEN-OMICS

WOMEN-omics ( www.women-omics.com ) is the website of 20-first, and is a portal that presents and delivers the latest business thinking from around the globe on how to optimize both halves of the talent pool and both halves of the market - the female and male halves.

WOMEN-omics is the brainchild of consultant, coach, and author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. As CEO of the consultancy 20-first, Wittenberg-Cox advises companies on drawing the maximum potential from 21st century talent, market, and leadership opportunities. The site continues her ongoing work to help companies achieve better business performance through better gender balance.

Aimed at companies, managers, researchers, journalists, business schools, and women, WOMEN-omics is the first website focused on the theme of promoting women as an economic opportunity. It is designed to be a one-stop shop providing insights and practical information on how to facilitate implementation of gender balancing policies and maximize the resulting benefits.

ABOUT AVIVAH WITTENBERG-COX

An expert in corporate gender bilingualism (getting companies to speak the language of both men and women). Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is CEO of 20-first, one of Europe's leading gender consultancies. Based in Paris, she works with progressive companies to develop more inclusive leadership styles, promote more gender-balanced management teams, and review processes and policies to better respond to women - both as employees and consumers.

She is the co-author of the bestselling Why Women Mean Business: Understanding the Emergence of Our Next Economic Revolution (Wiley & Sons, 2008). She is also the Founder and Honorary President of the European Professional Women's Network, a certified executive coach and spent five years as a Visiting Coach at INSEAD. She has spoken on leadership and growth opportunities across Europe and has had articles, reviews, and interviews published in publications ranging from the Harvard Business Review and the International Herald Tribune to the Financial Times in the UK, Le Temps in Geneva, Le Monde and ELLE in France and the National in Abu Dhabi. Canadian, French and Swiss, Avivah has a BA from the University of Toronto, an MBA from INSEAD and has completed the Women's Leadership Program at Harvard. ELLE Magazine recently recognized her as one of the TOP 40 Women Leading Change.

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