IWill MCW
Our Call to Action
Time alone will not bring equity. We must act to build an environment where all genders can thrive.
What I pledge to you today is that we will move the needle... A conversation is not enough. It's time for action. It's time for change.
Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, Provost and Executive Vice President and Dean, School of Medicine | 2019 AAMC Leadership Summit
IWill MCW Fall 2019 Information
Initial Pledge Period Completed
Nearly 1,400 pledges from faculty, staff and students!
Five Pledge Themes
Participants had the opportunity to make their pledge public on MCW’s intranet; 53% of participants chose to share their pledge. The rest of the pledges were known to AWSM, but not shared.
Be a Workplace Ally – Support, Mentor and Sponsor Women
Top pledges
- IWill strive to become a positive role model for other women by speaking up in meetings, working on apologizing less, and acknowledging my own accomplishments.
Number of people making pledge: 271
- IWill become (or further my work as) a workplace ally.
Number of people making pledge: 117
Support all Parents – Increase Awareness of Maternal Bias
Top pledges
- IWill be aware of maternal bias and work to diminish it.
Number of people making pledge: 104
Mitigate Unconscious Bias – Respond to Microaggressions
Top pledges
- IWill learn to recognize microaggressions and adjust my approach to the people with whom I work.
Number of people making pledge: 120
Create Belonging – Support Inclusion and Affinity
Top pledges
- IWill show my support for all genders by attending at least one gender-related MCW event.
Number of people making pledge: 107
Creating a Sexual and Gender Harassment Free Environment – How You Can Help
Pledge Support and Follow Up | "Queen Bee" Pledge Resources Example
Pledge Example
IWill learn about common obstacles encountered by women leaders – such as likability bias and queen-bee perceptions – and consider whether these affect women leaders and potential women leaders around me.
Category: Be a Workplace Ally – Support, Mentor and Sponsor Women
Learn
Participants had access to linked resources that shared findings on what it’s like for women at the top.
Findings
- For women, likability and success are negatively correlated.
- Women are twice as likely as men to be mistaken for someone in a more junior position.
- If women speak authoritatively, they may be seen as “too aggressive.” But if they speak more meekly, they risk being underestimated.
Reflect
Participants were encouraged to schedule five minutes each week to reflect on what they learned, remain active in their participation and become more aware of the subtle biases that often go unnoticed.
Reflections
- Am I, and are the women around me, the best role models possible?
- Consider the leaders around you. Which behaviors are they embracing? What do you think of what they are doing?
- Does your opinion differ depending on the gender of the leader?
Act
Participants were asked to help women leaders be as successful as possible.
Questions
- How can you use what you have learned to support a woman leader?
- How can you support all leaders to diversify teams?
- If you hear a comment about a woman leader, can you provide perspective by sharing some of your knowledge?
IWill 2019 Findings
In the fall of 2019, we asked what each of us would do to be a force for gender equity. We exceeded our initial goal of 1,100 pledges. Additionally, an IWill MCW manuscript by Drs. Maurana, Raymond, Kerschner and Ellinas was published in 2021.
View our IWill MCW Initiative Initial Pledge Period Report (PDF)
Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, follow-up to the original campaign was delayed until May 2020. Of the 1400 original respondents, 781 responded to the follow up survey.
Contact Us
Learn more about IWill MCW.
Medical College of Wisconsin
8701 Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226