This document discusses strategies for increasing women's representation and leadership in negotiations and decision-making. It begins by noting the under-representation of women in negotiations and some of the negative consequences of this imbalance. It then outlines three steps to improve the situation: 1) Improve who is at the table by finding ways for women to gain access and seats; 2) Carefully answer the "why women" question by emphasizing business case research on improved outcomes with gender diversity; 3) Clearly communicate the business case. The document provides examples of efforts to increase women's participation in negotiations in various countries. It also highlights a case study of Ghana creating a women-led anti-human trafficking unit and the impact this has had.

1. Let’s Re-Write the “Single Story”
of Women’s Leadership
Mil Niepold
Founder and President, The Mara Partners
IMPACTv Conference
October 22, 2015

2. US State Department
From This …..

3. US State Department
To This….

4. US State Department
To This….
Initiative for Inclusive Security

5. WHERE ARE WE?
Leadership Today

6. Some Inconvenient (Leadership) Truths
Negotiations are a major tool society uses to
address vital issues, but:
– Women are significantly under-represented
– Results in skewed perspectives
– Ignores “societal perfect storm” in which
negotiations occur

7. Ignoring
Macro Qs
Wrong
Negotiating
Frame
Short-lived
agreements, Limited
Impact, lower ROI,
Cynicism
Exacerbating
Factor: 50% of
solutions,
innovations &
governance often
left out

8. The Cynicism Trap

9. But Stakes Could Not be Higher
Today’s “operating environment” is:
• Conflict prone
• Boundary-less
• Lawless
• Depleted

10. CAN ANYONE HELP?
Bright Spots in Women’s Leadership Today

11. Yes, but…
Prepare to be:
• Disliked (Harvard Business School)
• Ignored (Cecilia Ridgeway)
• Underpaid (Institute for Women’s Policy
Research)
• In the minority (World Economic Forum)

12. Strategies for Resetting the Table

13. Step 1. Improve Who’s at the Table
“I’m not sure how bringing the warriors together
around the table actually results in peace”.
Amb. Swanee Hunt
Getting a Seat at the table:
• Northern Ireland: women formed a political party just 6
weeks before the negotiations in order to have a seat at the
table
• Yemen: women found male relatives to escort them to
negotiations
• Papua New Guinea: World Bank provided childcare to ensure
women in mining communities could participate in the
community meetings

14. Step 2: Answer the “Why Women?”
Question Carefully

15. Multiple Choice Quiz:
Fork in the (Pre-Negotiating) Road
Why should men have more women at the
negotiating table? Because of:
a. Parity/equity/women’s rights
b. They need more coffee brought in
c. It is required (quotas, constitutions, etc.)
d. Women flirted with them
e. It is the secret to a successful negotiation
(impact/reaching goals, innovation)

16. And yet….
• According to University of Lausanne Professor, John
Antonakis “the good styles of leadership come more
naturally to women”
• Like it or not, you’ll still need more “ammunition” to
get in the room

17. Ammunition: AKA The “Business” Case
• Research shows that increasing women’s
voice/agency/decision-making authority, etc.
improves organizational performance,
governance, innovation and human development
outcomes.
World Economic Forum
World Bank
McKinsey
Goldman Sachs
Oxford University
• “Gender Inequality Costs As Much As the
American and Chinese Economies Combined”

18. Step 3: Communicate the Case Clearly
• http://resetthepeacetable.org

19. GHANA & HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Women’s Leadership Case Study

20. Women and Trafficking
• 80% of trafficking victims are women & girls
• Gender sensitive approaches to trafficking are
victims’ services
• 2 countries in the world have put women on
the front lines (Ghana and Nicaragua)
• Strong case for women in prosecution/border
protection/legal/police roles (women in these
roles are less corruption and trafficking thrives
in corrupt environments)

21. Ending Human
Trafficking
requires reducing
corruption
Reducing
corruption
requires more
women in
authority
Ghana Created
First-ever
Women Led
Anti-Human
Trafficking
Unit

22. Conclusion: What my Fitbit Taught Me
about Women’s Leadership
• I need to walk more
• I already walk a lot
• Standing up is the first step