While it seems more acceptable to identify as a feminist now than in the past, there’s no doubt that feminism still makes some people uncomfortable. In many cases, it’s because people don’t understand what feminism means. Some people think it’s women trying to “overthrow” men from power; others think it’s simply women hating men. Being unaware of what the correct definition is prevents us from addressing unconscious biases toward feminists, which not only hurts women, but can also have a negative effect on business success.
Merriam-Webster is here to set the record straight. Feminism is defined as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
The key word here is equality. Feminism is truly about fostering a culture that believes women should be equal to men. While it’s important that women achieve equality in all aspects of their lives, the workplace is where some may still fail to treat women as equals. But, while some business leaders may be hesitant to embrace this f-word, there are a few who are encouraging others to be feminists.
One of those leaders is Muhtar Kent, the CEO of Coca-Cola. In Charlotte Alter’s Time article, “Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent: ’You Have to Be a Feminist,’” Kent says, “’If you’re a male and you’re at the top, you have to be a feminist, and you have to be proud of being a feminist.’”
It’s easy enough to say this, but what’s more impressive is that Kent is practicing what he preaches. Alter notes that when Kent became the CEO in 2009, he was shocked that “70% of consumers were female, but there were only two women on the corporate board and female senior leadership was in the low teens.” It seems that Kent understands the concept of “ key employee demographics required for growth .”
Since his start at Coca-Cola, Kent has worked diligently to try and increase the number of women on the board, and the “external hiring of women to senior leadership roles has increased from 13% in 2007 to 28% in 2014.” Kent has also start a “ 5by20 program , with the goal of providing economic empowerment to 5 million women by 2020.”
In other words, Kent gets the importance of feminism and creating an equal playing field for women in the business world. What’s even better, though, is that Kent isn’t just doing it because equality for women is the right thing, but because it’s also great for business. When you have a diverse board and senior leadership, you gain new perspective and new ideas. In the case of Coca-Cola, 70 percent of their consumers are women. It only makes sense that women should be present in meeting rooms, at the highest levels of the organization, and the board, where they can play a role in generating ideas to help this company reach its most prominent demographic.
Inclusive leaders need to see feminism not as a big, scary word, but as a business solution. Men and women both have great ideas that can set brands apart from competitors; if women represent a significant percentage of your target audience (and chances are they do), excluding them from business decisions can be more detrimental than you may think.
This is one f-word we shouldn’t be afraid of. Embrace feminism; be inclusive!