The Power of Women: Corporate Social Responsibility

     On Tuesday, March 5 the University of San Francisco hosted an event titled The Power of Women: Corporate Social Responsibility as part of the Global Women’s Rights Forum. The event consisted of a panel of women who discussed either their positions as leaders in corporations or their roles interacting with women’s rights. To begin, Linda Hothem, the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific American Services, LLC, discussed how women in the corporate world have a choice: to become indignant, or to take their obstacles and turn them into a teaching opportunity. Choosing the latter, Linda made sure to use her leadership role to develop and enforce socially responsible practices, like exceeding safety and sustainability mandates,  in her company. As CEO and President of The Better World Group, Wendy James echoed Linda’s commitment to social responsibility. More specifically, Wendy’s speech emphasized the correlation between women in management and increased sustainability and profit in companies. Finally, Erika Guevara-Rosas of the Global Fund for Women discussed how individuals and the private sector can mobilize and network to improve opportunities for women and marginalized groups. Erika continued by linking the development of the latter with pay-offs in the realms of both human rights and profit.

     This panel provided an excellent supplement to our class discussions. The repeated connections between women and sustainability voiced by the panelists complimented readings from Cockburn’s From Where We Stand. A significant portion of our last class meeting was dedicated to exploring Cockburn’s note on the association of women’s groups with environmental activism. Furthermore, the panel raised the issue of what women owe one another and how this can help women progress as a whole. This idea, of what one marginalized individual owes another, was reminiscent of past readings, such as those by Ann Jones. Finally, Erika’s broader focus, on human rights in generals, reminded me of the importance of intersectionality. Overall, therefore, this Global Women’s Rights Forum event was an excellent complement to our class on Women, Violence, and War. It both reiterated threads we’ve already tried unraveling, and provided new food-for-thought.  

Cockburn, Cynthia (2007) From Where We Stand: War, Women's Activism & Feminist Analysis. London: Zed Books