Over the last decade, I read tons of articles speculating about why highly educated, talented women are abandoning the corporate ladder for something else. I read two today. You hear all the time reasons like lack of maternity leave, how difficult it’s to find some kind of work-life balance, their desire to raise kids to explain it. These factors certainly play a role in their decision but, in my opinion, they are not the main reason for why they give up on corporate America or corporate Canada.

Here is what I’m talking about. I discussed with a woman engineer at an event a few weeks ago. When I asked her how she enjoys her job, she told me how difficult it’s for her to be taken seriously, that her solutions are not enough taken into considerations. When you work in such an environment, you either accept your role as an executor — which means that you never get to the top of the corporate ladder — or you decide to make it in your own.

From the talks I had with skilled women, I strongly believe that women gave up on the corporate world because they don’t feel that their expertise and thoughts are recognized and valued inside the organization. It’s hard to be the only woman in a room. We need more women who can voice their opinions without being single out. For things to change, we need more women at the top. It’s funny coming from a girl who gave up her big corporate dream long time ago. I think that it would be for the greater good that we achieve gender equality at the top.

Photo credits: Incase