Commission on the Status of Women

"identify, advocate for, and increase awareness of needed change"

 

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Voice and Visibility

Integral to a discussion of the climate for women at ASU, is the question of visibility and voice. Are women’s voices heard in staff meetings, faculty meetings, administrative meetings, or are they overlooked? Are differences in women’s styles of work and communication noticed? Their contributions recognized? Or is someone else getting the credit for work they didn’t perform?

Are there avenues for all groups of women to have input into university decision-making? Are there opportunities for all groups of women to connect? Are there opportunities for both male and female supervisors, managers, and directors to become more aware that styles of work and communication are heavily gendered? That the distribution and types of occupations of male and female employees in the workforce is gendered and that the distribution and selection of majors by students is also gendered?

Is there recognition of the multiple and overlapping identity positions occupied by women? Is there recognition of the diverse contexts of women’s lives? Of student and employee lives? How are women seen or rather not seen by those around them? This latter question is the fundamental issue facing many women on this campus. The feeling that they, and therefore their contributions, are invisible contributes in large part to the consistent reports heard across all groups of women we interviewed that their work is not respected or valued. This reality is a significant climate issue for women in all levels of employment at ASU.

To see an update on CSW's progress for this priority area, click here.

Issues regarding Voice and Visibility

  • Isolation
  • Limited Voice
  • Lack of Communication
  • Inclusive and Transparent Processes
  • Recognition and Rewards
  • Governance and Decision-making
  • Domestic partner recognition

Recommendations for improving Voice and Visibility

  1. Create advisory body/communication network for Service Professionals.
  2. Ensure that new employees and employees that change classifications are notified of employee groups/organizations as well as notified in changes in their status and benefits.
  3. Formalize expectation and reward for professional development and networking within the performance management system.
  4. Ensure time and support from unit to attend training.
  5. Ensure training of supervisors in diversity best practices to promote and encourage inclusiveness of all voices, work styles, as well as gender, physical disabilities and sexual orientation.
  6. Leadership training that teaches how to recognize a variety of contributions.
  7. Increase awareness and enhance visibility of nomination procedures for university committees. Advise employees of procedure for self-nomination.
  8. Recognize and respect domestic partners; ensure that domestic partners of faculty, staff, and students are given same respect as spouses.
  9. Expand definitions of inclusion, i.e. women includes women of color, international women, women whose first language is not English, women with disabilities, GLBTQ women, sorority women.
  10. Facilitate contact and communication among women’s groups on campus through regular meetings of leadership, coalition meetings, web site of women’s organizations.
  11. Continue to encourage university affirmative action/equal opportunity efforts.