Zoom levels the playing field in corporate meetings giving women equal footing according to Jennifer Nasan, Global Chair of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan in a July 3, 2021 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
“Zoom is the great equalizer. Everyone’s box is the same size. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO or the summer intern, your real estate is the same. A box with a name but no title became a tool of empowerment. Your name and face are consistently visible, making you more memorable, familiar and known. When you speak it is very hard for anyone to interrupt and it is also very hard to be ignored with your face staring back. You get invited to a lot of meetings that you wouldn’t have attended if travel were involved. I have witnessed many women in investment banking, young women in particular, find their voices and project newfound confidence in this virtual square. Remember, this is an industry still dominated by men and the physical manifestations of assertiveness and power.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-zoom-revolution-empowers-women-to-speak-up-11625260956?page=1
Ms. Nason’s opinion piece has received lots of pushback from female and male WSJ readers:
“False narrative that women need guidance on how to participate in meetings”
“Female of male, if you act like a shrining violet in the workplace, it’s on you”
“Aren’t we past women’s empowerment by now?”