2013 Will be the Year of Women

Typically over the holidays I end up watching a lot of television. This time of year there are always season finales and competitions and other things to catch up on, and for me this year was no exception.

Based upon the things I saw, I’m convinced that 2013 will be the year for women.

Why? Well, because women were hugely showcased at the end of the year, in ways and in places that were surprising.

First, Alex Guarneschelli won the Next Iron Chef, Redemption competition. For those that don’t know much about the world of haute cuisine, there are few female chefs, and where women exist, they are often not at the top.  But this time, the final two chefs in the competition were women, and they cooked their hearts out.  The best part about the finals is that both Alex Guarneschelli and fellow finalist Amanda Freitag made it without special consideration.  They made great dishes, period.

Second, the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors show performance was carried by awesome women (even though the deserving recipients were with one exception, men).  Think about this.  Tina Fey’s tribute to David Letterman was funny, poignant, and quintessentially spoken as a woman, even though David Letterman, by all accounts, is not.  Bonnie Raitt, a trailblazer in her own right, performed Buddy Guy’s Sweet Home Chicago with a raspy finesse that only she can do.  And Heart’s Ann and Nancy W

ilson, the bedrock of the women’s rock movement, belted out Stairway to Heaven in a way that not only respected Led Zeppelin but brought new significance to what is arguably the greatest rock tune ever written.

So women adding new context to the traditional; I like that. It seems a lot of other people did also.

Is this a trend?  I hope so!

From a human resources perspective, I wonder what 2013 will bring for women.  As barriers break and as it becomes more normal, and less novel, for women to contribute unique things to our workplaces at the highest level—all the better.   We need to think about a people movement.

That said, it will be a good thing when articles and blogs like this no longer have to be written, when women’s achievements are not unique or noteworthy as a women’s achievement.  Until then though, I look forward to seeing and hearing about all the occasions when women rocked it.

Here’s to 2013.

About the author: Bonni Titgemeyer is the Managing Director of The Employers’ Choice Inc. She has been in human resources for 20+ years and works in the international HR arena. She is the recipient of the 2012 Toronto Star HR Professional of the Year Award.  You can connect with Bonni on Twitter as @BonniToronto, often at the hashtag #TEPHR.

Photo credit iStockphoto