Shared Sisterhood is Changing What it Means to Advocate for Women

Co-authors Dr. Tina Opie & Dr. Beth Livingston address importance of trust, vulnerability, empathy, and risk-taking when establishing racial and gender equity

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Gender equity is gaining steam—but not all women are seeing the benefits. For decades there has been a gap in achieving gender and racioethnic equity in the workplace. This has been particularly challenging for BIPOC women. Co-authors of Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work, Dr. Tina Opie and Dr. Beth Livingston, magnify this topic and break down how the bridging of differences can help make the world a fairer, more just place.

Shared Sisterhood is a philosophy that embraces authentic connection and collective action. It is built on three practices — dig, bridge, and advance, which is how the two co-authors fostered their relationship. The book also elaborates on their story and combines history to social sciences to provide an action-packed guide on how individuals and organizations can move life and humanity forward.

“Building bridges between different communities has always been my life’s purpose, and Shared Sisterhood has been an opportunity to not only further this but to also build on this in my personal life,” said Dr. Tina Opie. “In the past, I’ve found myself questioning why more hasn’t been done to bond us as Black and White women. Through research I’ve come to learn that is historically rooted in a lack of trust and in order to change that we first must establish trust and understanding with one another. That is where Shared Sisterhood begins.”

According to the Women in the Workforce report from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, women are in the midst of a “Great Breakup” as record numbers of women leave their corporate jobs, emphasizing the need for change.

“Impact can only exist when we are vulnerable with ourselves and others. That is when the strongest of bonds can be created and what the core of Shared Sisterhood is. It is not just having a friend, but it is about building a relationship,” said Dr. Beth Livingston. “It is about equal justice and in order to do that, we must include everyone in the conversation, regardless of gender. For it is through these relationships and the empathy and understanding that is established where we begin to create opportunities for women.”

For more information on Shared Sisterhood, the authors and to order a copy of the book, visit www.drtinaopie.com/sharedsisterhoodbook.

ABOUT SHARED SISTERHOOD

Gender equity can’t happen without racial equity. We need Shared Sisterhood.

Bias persists in organizations and society. Despite efforts that have been made in the last few decades, gender and racioethnic equity still hasn’t been achieved. What’s worse, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latina women are being held back more than their White counterparts.

Professor Tina Opie first started Shared Sisterhood as a movement to drive gender and racial equity in organizations. Since then, she and professor Beth A. Livingston have worked together to spread the word to leaders across organizations, with thousands of followers joining the cause. In this book, they explain how to use vulnerability, trust, empathy, and risk-taking to build Shared Sisterhood and break down three key parts of the process:

1. Dig into your own assumptions around racioethnicity, gender, and power

2. Bridge the divide between women of all backgrounds through authentic relationships

3. Advance all women across the organization and beyond

Balancing a mix of history, research, and real-life examples—including the authors’ own experiences—this book encourages everyone to join Shared Sisterhood and advance equity for all.

ABOUT DR. TINA OPIE

Dr. Tina Opie is an Associate Professor of Management at Babson College, a well-regarded thought leader in the field of organizational behavior and a professional speaker. Her research centers on leadership, culture, diversity and gender. She is the founder of Opie Consulting Group LLC, where she advises firms on strategies to create more inclusive and productive cultures. Her research has been published in multiple, peer-reviewed academic journals and has been featured in such outlets as Bloomberg, NPR, O Magazine, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Harvard Business Review. Dr. Tina is a regular commentator on Harvard Business Review’s Women at Work podcast and Greater Boston’s NPR affiliate television station WGBH.

ABOUT DR. BETH LIVINGSTON

Dr. Beth Livingston is the Sheets Associate Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. She received her PhD from the University of Florida (2009) and her MBA from the University of Kentucky (2004). Her research centers on gender, diversity, and work-family management. Her work has been highlighted in the New York Times, NPR, and the Harvard Business Review, and she has been published in multiple top academic journals.

Dawn Michelle Hardy
The Literary Lobbyist, LLC
+1 704-561-1580
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