Secret women's societies in the US: What is it and how to get to them?

In 2013, during our honeymoon, my husband and I had an idea - to create an application that would help tourists plan their cruise trips. A few years later we started working on this idea in Kyiv. And at the beginning of 2016, we were invited to one of the Texas “business accelerators” (organizations that help develop businesses). Subsequently, at the end of 2016, we found ourselves in the United States, in the city of Dallas. Since my position in a startup is a management one - CTO, this exposed me to a phenomenon that I didn’t even know existed. Namely, secret and not very feminine societies, he says in a blog for VOA Marina Shumaeva.

Photo: Depositphotos

How can a girl from Kiev get into the influential societies of Dallas?

Just a week after the startup moved, I was invited to a meeting of women business owners or women who hold influential positions in companies. It turned out that such meetings are not advertised and can only be attended by invitation or recommendation. In addition, there is no official membership. Every month, about 15 women gathered in their own homes or in the common spaces of apartment complexes (almost every apartment building has a business center or shared kitchen) to discuss business, discrimination and everything from politics to makeup. Each time the composition of the group changed somewhat, which made it possible to both strengthen relationships with those women whom you were seeing not for the first time, and to expand contacts. In total, this society united about 30 women who hold leadership positions in various companies in Dallas.

Subsequently, I learned about the existence of various organizations that unite women working in business. Frankly, many of these business communities are quite formal. Therefore, it seems to me better to find societies according to narrower interests. In my case it is IT. Recently, for example, I became a member of a women's organization from Google - Women Techmakers. Such organizations are not secret, but to get into them, you must fill out an application, pass the selection or get recommendations. As for meetings, sometimes they are common, and for some you need to buy tickets.

There are still large women's societies uniting well-known women, opinion leaders, directors, senior managers and politicians. Almost always for membership in such societies or for attending events you have to pay, but it's worth it.

Quite often, such meetings are local, depending on the city or state. For example, in Dallas, events from Dallas Womens Foundation, Dallas Women Entrepreneurs, Glass Heel. These are quite large events that take place in conference rooms of chain hotels, business or exhibition centers. Several hundred women attend them. Oddly enough, for me such societies turned out to be the most effective, because this way you can gain more experience and knowledge. Experienced speakers present at such meetings, sometimes including real business stars, and not only women.

What makes American women unite?

At the beginning of the 19 century, women's organizations were created as religious groups around churches, and their main activity was charity. A little later, African-American societies began to appear, and then white women who fought against slavery. But such societies did not have a system structure at the beginning of the 20 century.

The twentieth century was the heyday of "women's clubs", which united women who went to the same church, engaged in charity, helping the military and the wounded during wars. A separate popular American tradition is “book clubs” that unite almost exclusively women.

Such societies were a powerful engine of social change, often the activities of these organizations influenced certain reforms and changes in society. Women's societies actively opposed lynching, segregation, and defended women's rights to work and voice. They were engaged in education, environmental protection, helped widows and orphans.

It is thanks to women's clubs that modern preschool educational institutions, Juvenile justice and the concepts of protecting the rights of the child, modern parks and recreational areas have appeared. For example, the world famous redwoods in California were saved, not least because of protests by local women's clubs. The famous Florida Everglades National Park was created thanks to the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. It was women's clubs that were among the first to fight the “trash mafia” in the United States. And there are many such examples.

Why do many women in the US dream to get into the "Belize Grove"

One of the most influential modern women's societies is the closed club "Belize Grove". This New York-based organization brings together more than 100 of the most influential women from various fields. It is said that the name came from a meeting in Belize. And the goals of society are to increase the representation of women in politics and business.

Some women's organizations are world-famous, for example, UN Women, the International Women's League for Peace and Freedom, the National Women's Organization and others. In general, such organizations defend the rights of women fighting for equality, against wars and discrimination.

Women's societies, stated or not, aim to help bridge the gap in economic opportunities between men and women.

In September, 2017, our company was one of the elected representatives of Ukraine in the Ukrainian pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt SF'17. There were far more men than women at this conference, a clear indicator of this was a phenomenon that is rarely seen - huge lines in the men's restrooms and almost empty women's. And despite this, experienced visitors say, the number of women at tech conferences is growing every year.

But here, women do not lose the opportunity to meet, talk and share experiences with each other. Almost every big technical conference organizes breakfasts, parties or panel discussions for women. And you know what is the advantage of women? As the wife of the founding husband of the enterprise, I know the answer: men do not organize such breakfasts and meetings in an organized way!

All important organizations in the world - governments, large companies, international organizations - until recently brought together almost exclusively men. Men are accustomed to spending their free time together - going hunting, going to the bathhouse or playing billiards, thus building and developing connections.

As my experience of a female entrepreneur in the field, which is still even considered masculine in the USA, has shown that women can not worse, or even better cooperate, find like-minded people, share experiences and help each other.

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