Throughout her long career, Julie Other often found she was the only woman amid a sea of male executives. At times, it proved frustrating. “I have a strong voice and I have a loud voice, but I never really felt I was heard,” says Juliewho spent years in the financial services and high tech industries. “I’d say something and two minutes later someone else, a man, would say the same thing and it was received better.”That all changed about three years ago when she joined Watertown-based child-care provider Bright Horizons as its chief human resources officer. It was the first time Julie found herself working for a company where women were the majority on the board of directors and executive committee. “When I’m at the executive table, we support each other and we give each other theopportunity to talk,” Juliesays. “I’ve worked for some great men, too, who are very transparent and who have been great leaders. But when there’s a lot of women at the table, we have that support and maybe it’sthat trust, too.”Julie’sexperience is no anomaly. Women—and men—report higher job satisfaction at women-led companies relative to male-led companies, according to a survey of nearly 60,000 workers in 43 countries by Peakon, an online platform that tracks employee engagement. Companies where women make up more than half the executive team scored higher in key areas as ranked by employees. The survey found: they feel more confident in their employers’ overall goals and strategies;they find communication to be more effective and the mission more clearly defined, in turn leading to a greater belief in the company’s product or service; and they report having more autonomy, specifically expressing satisfaction in work-from-home policies and less micromanagement.But just having female bosses is not enough, notes Fatuma Ahmed—the women need to be leaders who employees want to work for and emulate. Ahmed is chief operating officer at AP Properties, the real estate arm of education and travel powerhouse, which has itsheadquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Ahmed’s trajectory to the top started 20 years ago when she became assistant director to AP founder,whose sons now run the multibillion-dollar family-owned company. Women make up the majority of staff and leadership at AP, and the executive leadership team has long been more than half female, Ahmedsays. “There was never a time where I didn’t feel both supported and inspired,” she says. “When I first started out, I didn’t know what I could be, but I saw there were smart and talented women in equal roles as men. “Psychologicalresearch suggests that women tend to be more empathetic than men, which could account for the perception of different leadership styles based on gender.

Usingthe above excerptabove:1. Discusthe concept that companies ledby women have happier workersthan those led by men.(15 Marks)

2. Discusshow gender inequality is depicted inwork environmentsand strategiesfor reducinggender inequality. (15 Marks)