Diversity Council Addresses Obstacles for Women at Work
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The Diversity Council of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology explored how the "glass ceiling" is no longer an accurate metaphor for the limits women face in the workplace during a June presentation titled "Inspirational Journeys: Preparing Women for Lives of Purpose, Service, and Leadership."
A better descriptor is a labyrinth—several paths leading to varied destinations. Women continue to find obstacles within the labyrinth and often do not reach their end goals at all. Three female panelists, all of whom have obtained a high position in the education sector, discussed their perspectives on the labyrinthine journey, as well as anecdotes from their personal experiences.
Panelists included GSEP dean Margaret Weber; Tabatha Jones Jolivet, associate dean of student affairs at Seaver College; and Monica Garcia, president of the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the nation. Thema Bryant-Davis, associate professor of psychology, moderated.
The speaker series was developed by the GSEP Diversity Council to provide a forum for representatives of varied backgrounds and views to speak on subjects affecting the fields of education and mental health. The discussions are ultimately meant to provide a means for GSEP to build partnerships with the surrounding community and help students cultivate their multicultural knowledge. The Diversity Council is a subset of the Urban Initiative, an umbrella program developed to prepare students for long-term work in underserved urban communities.