Turns out a lot of Americans believe we'll make huge strides in space exploration before reaching gender parity in the business world. The Rockefeller Foundation is out to change that.
The foundation's new campaign "100x25" is dedicated to having 100 women in CEO positions of Fortune 500 companies by 2025. Right now, only 21 women hold the top leadership positions in these companies.
To determine just how behind the United States is when it comes to workplace gender equality, the foundation teamed up with Global Strategy Group in April to poll 1,011 adults ages 18 and older.
According to the survey, 24 percent of Americans work at a company with no women in leadership positions, and only 34 percent feel that their workplace prioritizes having women in these roles. A majority of those surveyed (85 percent) also agreed that men have an easier time getting these positions than women who are equally qualified.
With these kind of statistics, it's not hard to believe that Americans are skeptical about the country's ability to achieve large-scale gender parity. According to the survey, 26 percent of Americans believe that in their lifetimes, there's a better chance humans will colonize Mars than that women will become half of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Those doubts aren't stopping The Rockefeller Foundation though. With the "100x25" campaign, the foundation is asking current CEOs to commit to gender equality in the workplace by taking steps to close the gap within their companies.
Learn more about the campaign in the video below.
Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, hopes the campaign will impact women at all professional levels -- not just in high-level leadership positions.
"Women deserve a greater say in the future of work, and the 100x25 campaign will be used as a platform to advance a more inclusive economy that creates more opportunities for more people -- from entry-level to the C-suite," she said.
Americans might be skeptical about actually reaching gender equality at work, but a notable majority think achieving this balance will bring about positive change. According to the survey, 76 percent of Americans (men and women) think that having more women in top positions at work will assist in closing the pay gap, and 74 percent believe it will introduce beneficial policies for both men and women.
That's a domino effect we can get behind.
For more information on "100x25," head to The Rockefeller Foundation's site.
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