Our shining lights
EIGHT years ago, in an emotional concession speech to Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton told supporters that although she was not able at that time to shatter “that highest and hardest ceiling,” her inaugural Presidential campaign had managed to put 18 million cracks in it.
“The light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time,” said the Secretary of State, Senator and former First Lady who has just celebrated a milestone victory as the first woman to clinch a major party nominee for US president.
We celebrate milestones, not just because they mark a significant stage in the lives of those who reach them, but also because these pioneers make the path a little easier for those of us who hope to emulate their success and leadership.
Today we celebrate the accomplishments of Ireland’s Most Powerful Women, honouring 25 of the most remarkable, influential and inspiring women from fields as diverse as business, arts and culture, entrepreneurship and the public sector.
By definition, the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 25 are trailblazers, women who have shattered high and hard ceilings and who have used their hard won experience and influence to create pathways to allow other women — and men — to explore and develop their leadership potential. Why single out women? The business and economic case for gender diversity in the workplace has not just been met, it is beyond dispute: advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025 according to the McKinsey Global Institute. Irish women have gained extraordinary ground in the last 40 years, but as a society we still have some way to go. Only 14pc of Irish CEO’s and 10.5pc of publicly-listed company board members are female, our gender pay gap is widening as other jurisdictions’ decrease and many of society’s challenges — including childcare and caregiving — are still framed as women’s issues.
But we have so much to celebrate as Irish women, including our new honourees, continue to break new ground as well as old barriers, raising the bar for all.
INM is proud to join WXN as we celebrate the prestige and potential of ‘Ireland’s Most Powerful Women: Top 25’ who are shining a light for the next generation.