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TH E M REP O RT
FEATURE FEATURE
We've Come A
Long Way Baby
"Mad Men" may have be an accurate depiction of women's
roles in the workplace in the 60s, but now women are leading
companies and steering corporate visions in remarkable ways.
By Tory Barringer
I
t might be old hat to say that
women have come a long
way in the workforce in the
past half-century, but it's true.
According to the U.S.
Department of Commerce, the
percentage of women participat-
ing in the labor force has climbed
from less than one-third at the
end of World War II to 57.7 per-
cent as of 2012.
The make-up at the top has also
changed, albeit at a slower pace.
While it may have been common
in the "Mad Men" days to see
women working as secretaries for
male-dominated firms, it's becom-
ing more commonplace today to
see women occupying those top
level roles (including posts on the
president's cabinet—a different kind
of secretary altogether).
What's behind the rise of
women in the workplace?
Evolving social norms and
attitudes have certainly helped
open the door, even if just a
crack. At the heart of it, though,
are the women who take it upon
themselves to step through.
Taking (and Giving)
Opportunities
O
ne such person is Jo Ann
Kruse, president and COO
of Matt Martin Real Estate
Management. Kruse is one
among the very small group of
women who have seen the view
from the top. She attributes her
success to her love for what she
does—"Truthfully, if I didn't
have my husband and my kids
and a couple of dogs, I wouldn't
