S O, W H A T C A N T H E R E S T O F T H E W O R L D LEARN FROM EQUESTRIAN SPORTS?
Empowerment Must Begin Early. From the earliest ages, a clear
and unequivocal message must be conveyed that girls and boys, while different, are of equal ability. Since we cannot put all of them on ponies to learn that lesson, that means, in the classroom, when hands are raised, we must insist that our daughters are called on with the same frequency as our sons; that means in the gym, girls should not be relegated to lesser activities while the boys are assumed to be more physical; that means that we cannot assume that boys are more capable in math and science than girls; that means we all must convey in words and in actions the belief that girls and boys can each accomplish their aspirations, regardless of the aspiration or the gender
Sun Protection with Stand-Out style
Role Models Are Key. While the equestrian world is filled with
successful and highly visible women, the corporate world is still “playing catch-up”. There are not enough women in the C-Suite or on corporate boards, and in certain professions there are very few women generally. So, we must highlight those women who have broken through, and we must also call on men to serve as role models for and sponsors of women in the workplace. I have been very fortunate in my career to have been encouraged, supported and mentored by men who became very much vested in my success. We need more men to do the same.
Men Need To Lead By Example. And while we are on the subject of
men… gender equality is as much a male issue as it is a female issue. Are men not husbands, brothers, sons and fathers? Do men not want to work in an environment where advancement and compensation are based on merit and performance and not impacted by unspoken biases and antiquated stereotypes? For the men in our sport, gender equality is second nature because it is how they live. It is that mindset we should seek to emulate and men must assume a leadership role in the effort.
Messages Should Be Clear. We must consider the messages we
convey to women. Do we reward long hours spent in the office in lieu of effectiveness and efficiency? Do we value hard-earned skill and judgment to the same degree we value the flashy or the expedient? Put differently, do we reward the workplace equivalent of “brute strength” in lieu of skill, experience and judgment? Ours is a sport that takes decades to learn, and even then, the great horsemen spend a lifetime learning. An environment where knowledge is viewed as differentiating is an environment that does not favor one gender over the other.
Equal Opportunity Is A Must. The horse is an “equal opportunity
partner.” In a way, the horse is the great equalizer. He levels the playing field. Ride him well and you will be rewarded. And when women are presented with equal opportunities, there are no limitations other than our own ability, our own work ethic, our own level of commitment and our own self-discipline, but we should rise and fall with those attributes. This is about merit, free of gender bias, not gender bias determining merit. Our sport is imperfect, for sure, and the headlines about it are not always kind, but it is a sport that has enabled women and men to excel on equal footing and to fulfill their dreams to an unparalleled degree. There is much to be learned from that. It is one of the unexpected lessons and great gifts of our sport. Jana is a Partner and Global Vice Chair of Dentons, the largest law firm in the world. She also owns Henley Farms, an 80-acre working farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
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