Vote: Women will lead Gen Y – what will men do?

One of my more popular – and controversial – posts to date is this one, so when fellow blogger and friend Elysa Rice approached me about a SXSW panel proposal with Tiffany Monhollon, Hannah Seligson and Ryan Healy, I was stoked to bring the online conversation to life.

We would all love it if you gave us the thumbs-up vote for our SXSW proposal. You don’t have to be attending the conference to vote, and if you are, we’d be thrilled if you also left a comment. We’re all huge fans of SXSW and think this would be an incredible conversation to have there. Here’s the panel description:

Women Will Lead Gen-Y – What Will Men Do?

Will Generation Y be the first generation to reap the full benefits of the women’s movement and if so, will it be to the detriment of men?

More women than men attain bachelor’s degrees. In recent years, nearly 59 percent of undergraduates were granted to women. By 2050, that degree gap will grow drastically.

Jobs are no different. During a six-month period in 2008, American women aged 20 and up gained nearly 300,000 jobs, and American men lost nearly 700,000 jobs. Research also shows that women who are in management make companies more profitable, even among the Fortune 500.

Roles traditionally filled by men – that of lawyers, doctors and managers – are seeing an influx of women. Other male-dominated industries such as manufacturing and construction seem to be perpetually in downturn, while women are found concentrated in upcoming and thriving industries such as education and healthcare.

Young men then, seemingly devoid of opportunities that once defined them, are left in a prolonged state of adolescence.

And yet – inequalities in the workplace still abound, men consistently negotiate higher salaries (eight times as many men as women graduating with master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon negotiated their salaries), and when it comes to founding successful companies, apparently old guys rule. Young guys have a shot too. But women aren’t even part of the equation.

This panel will look at the future for women, and help reconcile conflicting research and real-life experiences.

Go vote!! >>

We so appreciate your support and thanks in advance. We promise a great conversation!