Elinor Ostrom is the first woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, more accurately known as The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. The prize has been awarded 40 times to 60 Laureates since 1969. Ostrom won the award, along with Oliver Williamson, for work in economic governance.
This is significant for several reasons:
*Firsts are progress. Every time a woman is a “first” (except for cookie baking First Ladies — been there, done that) it opens a door for more women. It gives girls an image of what they might achieve someday. It’s incredulous really, that we expect little girls to grow up believing they can be anything when we bombard them with images of men in those roles and describe so many occupations with gender-specific language (alderman, councilman, chairman, selectman, etc.) Firsts start to change the perception of women.
*She is not alone. Ostrom is joined this year by four other women Laureates. Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Carol Greider won the prize for physiology or medicine. Professor Ada Yonath was awarded the prize in chemistry. And Herta Muller won the Nobel Prize in Literature. For five women to win the award in the same year is a major milestone. Nobel Prizes have only been awarded to women 41 times between 1901 and 2009.
*When you consider the fields in which Nobel prizes are awarded, and when you take into account who does the nominating, you realize just how hard it is for women’s achievements to be recognized. Economics, physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and even peace, are still mostly male-dominated fields. And it is professors, scientists and previous prize winners who nominate candidates. Again, this is a male-dominated base. You can read more on this topic here.
*Ostrom and Williamson were recognized for work they’ve done in economic governance. According to Nobelprize.org, they have challenged conventional wisdom in this area. One only needs to look to Wall Street and the current economic crisis to appreciate just how critical it is that we revisit our approach. Perhaps recognizing Ostrom will help underscore the need for gender equity in corporate leadership. Read more on why and how here.
This. Is. Good. News.
