Second-year graduate student Udochi Onwubiko came to GW knowing she wanted a job on Capitol Hill, but she found it hard to connect with the already close-knit group of women.
Within weeks, Onwubiko created an organization called Women in Public Affairs, which pairs young females with older colleagues to help each other deal with challenges in the workplace, such as balancing a family with work.
“There are definitely plenty of opportunities to network in D.C. and GW, but quality is better than quantity,” she said. “I felt like I would meet lots of great, interesting people, but had limited opportunity to develop solid relationships.”
Onwubiko’s female-focused group is one of seven campus organizations linking females in the same field, from mathematics to politics. Three have launched in the past year.
While women far outnumber men on college campuses nationwide, with females representing 55 percent of GW’s campus, women still faces challenges like the pay gap and workplace stereotypes.
“There seemed to be an unmet need,” Onwubiko said. “We’re at a point in time where the issues that women face in the professional world have gained a lot of attention.”
The 30-member group is planning to hold panels and networking events and is looking to grow its membership in the next few months.
The Association for Women in Mathematics, an organization of science, technology, engineering and mathematics students, is focusing its first year on holding panels with female professionals who work at companies like the National Security Agency and the Federal Reserve.
Fewer than 25 percent of workers in those fields nationally are women, according to a recent U.S. Department of Commerce report from this year. At GW, the School of Engineering and Applied Science has just 18 female professors out of more than 100.
Mary Ellsberg, director of the Global Women’s Institute, said she has noticed an increasing number of women’s organizations as the University focuses on supporting female professionals.
The institute, which launched in fall 2012, has hosted speakers and events promoting gender equality in economics. It has also launched courses focusing on women’s issues for departments across the University.
“It’s particularly important to encourage women to pursue these careers and to not be intimidated by the lack of women in leadership there,” Ellsberg said. “We need more trailblazers and women in the fields to support women who are getting started.”
While the number of women entering college far exceeds their male counterparts, students say they still need women-only groups because industries like banking and science still see a wide gender gap.
About 4.2 percent of chief executive officers at Fortune 500 companies are women, and about 13 percent of legislative members worldwide are women. Females make up nine of about 100 heads of state, according to the Atlantic.
Pegi Ylli, president of GW Women in Business, said she felt especially intimidated while working at the Central Bank of Albania this past summer.
“It was mainly dominated by men,” said the senior, who is from Albania. “I felt kind of looked down upon at first.”
But the skills she learned from the group helped her to overcome her anxiety, Ylli said. Now in her third year at GW, she said it’s crucial to have support and networking on campus and out in the workforce.
She said she knows firsthand how useful support and networking can be. She said she began focusing on what she learned at workshops, maintaining a positive attitude and following up on a good first impression.
“Having that support group within your school or your area of interest will always give you a push forward,” she said.
Mariela Supina, a sophomore in SEAS who belongs to one of the groups, said her decision to major in mathematics was tough, partly because women tend to feel isolated in male-dominated fields.
“It’s not what a lot of women are doing. So it’s a step where you say that you want to do something that’s not as popular,” she said.
Shayda Shahbazi, president of the Society of Women Engineers said it’s never been more important for women on campus to band together.
“Right now, there is an absolute need for feminism. And as a result, female organizations are in high demand, especially around campus,” she said.
This story was updated Feb. 12, 2014 to reflect the following:
Correction appended
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that GW Women in Public Affairs is a women-only group. While most of the members are female, men are allowed to join. The group’s first panel is in April. Due to an editing error, the Hatchet also incorrectly reported that Udochi Onwubiko cited the pay gap and workplace stereotypes as challenges women face in the workplace. We regret these errors.
