Women in power: who is producing highly-ranked content?

With at least one female presidential nominee expected in 2016’s US presidential race and the topic of who is or isn’t a feminist gathering headlines and social media mileage all over the world, the subject of female leaders and issues affecting women in the workplace and wider society are higher up the agenda than they have ever been. Which companies and organisations are already capitalising on this interest?

There are four non-news organisations in the first page of Google search results on “women in power”, from three sectors:

Industry:

The IEEE is the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and its Women in Power content is aimed at women literally in power – those working in the energy industry. The group is a mentoring organization aimed at finding female engineers early or in the middle of their career and helping them get ready for leadership roles. The content is practical, designed to help people find or become mentors, and attend events and online seminars.

Charity:

VSO, which sends volunteers to help with aid projects in developing countries, has a campaign to increase the participation of the world’s poorest women in decision-making at all levels. Two-thirds of the 1.4 billion people who live in extreme poverty are women, says VSO, in part because they have so little power over their lives. The site show the work VSO has done lobbying government through the Women in Power campaign and links through to an online petition.

Campaign groups:

The Fawcett Society, a UK women’s rights campaign group, has two entries on the first page of Google – the first is stats and facts about the number of women in top jobs in politics, business, the judiciary, media and other influential professions. The second is a page dedicated to its Women and Power campaign to increase the number of women holding senior positions in politics and the professions.

Chime for Change, the campaign set up by pop star Beyonce, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini and Salma Hayek, actress and wife of Gucci owner Francois-Henri Pinault, is the glamorous face of women’s rights. It takes one of the top spots on Google with its website detailing its contributions (financial and profile-raising) towards charities working on education, health and justice projects for women and girls.