March 26, 2007 6:46 PM

Women-only events - is separate still equal?
Posted by Diane Danielsonat 6:46 PM

Carol Hymowitz of The Wall Street Journal looks at High Power and High Heels  in an article about women-only networking events. 

Still, holding women-only networking events raises some complicated issues. Are these single-sex events just as exclusionary as the traditional spectator sports events and steak-and-cigar dinners have been for men? What about women who have male clients and vice versa?

Some male executives think ambitious women would be wiser to learn to play golf -- still a primary way men in business socialize and lay the groundwork for deal making. And some women are ambivalent about women-only events that may cause them to be viewed as "frivolous." But a growing chorus is saying there's nothing wrong with recognizing that women have different tastes and different interests. Besides, after years of being subtly and not-so subtly excluded from male gatherings, women say they want their own space.

Random thoughts about this:

• I like to golf more than shop, so I don't have a problem with the former.  And I know some metrosexuals who would prefer the latter.  But, what about non-golfers of either sex?  Should they feel forced to go along with what the dominant group has decided is the norm?
• Over the course of my career, I've been excluded from male events as well as female events (the latter for not being senior enough) and it just feels "oh so college fraternity/sorority-like."
• I think it is discrimination to exclude a person based on gender.  However, it's not discrimination to hold an event that is more likely to attract one particular group than another.
• People will follow the power.  If more women are in power, we might see different networking venues where everyone can participate.  We're already seeing gen y men shy away from their father's traditions.
• People will make time for what they think is fun.  We are all extremely busy, but if we think something is going to be fun, we figure out a way to make time for it.