By Etelka Lehoczky with additional reporting by Seoha Lee
Women in Rotary get a professional boost, and it’s not all about networking.
One day in July, a typical Zoom meeting starts – typical, that is, in every way but one. As Rotary members join from different corners of the world – Australia, Nigeria, Thailand, Norway and more than a dozen other countries – it gradually becomes evident that every participant is female.
This is a networking group for women who have served Rotary as trustees or directors, or in other leadership roles. Organised during the COVID-19 pandemic by Johrita Solari, a past RI vice president and director, the group has about 35 members.
“It’s not often that I wake up at 2 am to join a Zoom meeting, but this one was a little different,” says RI Director-elect Jennifer Scott, of the Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains, NSW.
“The meetings comprise of past and current female senior Rotary leaders from around the world who come together to mentor and support the incoming female leaders.
“When the meeting finished at 3 am, I may have been tired but I was delighted to know that I was part of a great team of women. We are making a difference not only in Rotary but also to communities around the world.”
The discussions are wide-ranging, addressing everything from ongoing projects to career issues.
The meetings don’t have a particular goal. They simply provide an opportunity for connection.
“It’s about having conversations on how to be better than we are and how to support each other,” says Johrita, a member of the Rotary Club of Anaheim, US.
The group is one of many avenues that women in Rotary use to form valuable professional relationships. Many women say Rotary helps them establish professional contacts, expand their skill sets and – perhaps most important of all – find continuing inspiration to reach higher in their careers.
The chance to get an edge in the business world is particularly crucial for women. Despite having cemented their presence in the workforce in many countries, women still often find that subtle or not-so-subtle discrimination gets in the way of getting ahead. Globally, less than a third of leadership positions are held by women, according to a report by networking site LinkedIn. That’s despite women’s equal or even majority presence in entry-level roles.
“Because we’re a predominantly patriarchal society, I think men tend to gravitate towards their fellow men as opposed to women [in the professional world]”, says Sybil Bailor, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Freetown, Sierra Leone, who works in project management and runs a boutique hotel.
“There are certain dos and don’ts, spoken or unspoken, when you’re approaching men in terms of networking and business,” she adds.
And there are countless other challenges the group’s members describe. For example, there may be unwritten rules about what women are supposed to wear to the office, as one Rotarian learned when she showed up for her new job with a large UK-based law firm.
“On my first day, I had on a red dress,” says Funda Göğebakan, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Eğitim Hayallerine İnananlar, Türkiye.
“They said, ‘Yeah, you look good. But according to our firm’s rules, we advise you strongly to choose grey or black ones’.”
One frustration for women in some countries is being excluded from casual get-togethers outside of work. That’s why it’s essential for women to find other networking opportunities, says Hyun-Sook Lee, past president of the Rotary Club of Icheon Namcheon, Korea.
“In Korea, after-work gatherings, especially those involving alcohol, are a big part of professional networking and information sharing,” says Hyun-Sook, CEO of the Icheon branch of a large chain of movie theatres.
“Besides offering a way to build professional relationships in mixed-gender social settings, Rotary provides many other networking opportunities.”
“These gatherings are often where relationships are built and crucial information is exchanged. I don’t drink alcohol and have rarely attended these events, which has sometimes made me feel like I’m missing out on important opportunities to advance my career.”
That’s where Rotary comes in. Besides offering a way to build professional relationships in mixed-gender social settings, Rotary provides many other networking opportunities.
About two-thirds of female members who participated in Rotary Action Groups, Rotary Fellowships and Rotary Friendship Exchanges did so as a way to make professional connections. As RI President Stephanie Urchick points out, the nature of the organisation fosters the deep relationships that are essential for productive networking.
“Rotary was the original networking organisation,” says Stephanie, who belongs to the Rotary Club of McMurray, US.
“Rotary is a place where people all have that DNA that says, ‘We want to serve, we want to make the world a better place.’ That’s not always true in other circles.”
Rotary’s global reach allows for opportunities like Johrita’s Zoom call, which serves as both a networking session and a practical lesson in cosmopolitanism. Past RI Director Suzi Howe, who owned a Montessori school for many years, often called on her Rotary connections to introduce her students to international guests.
“I had a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Russia come and visit the school, and a Nicaraguan children’s choir,” says Suzi, a member of the Rotary Club of Space Centre (Houston).
“The internationality of Rotary is a gift that we have.”
Many women credit Rotary with teaching them to lead. On the Zoom call, Nicki Scott, a past RI vice president and director, says persuading fellow members to get excited about a service project is a true test of leadership.
“When you’re working in a volunteer environment as we are, you have to learn to build trust first,” says Nicki, a member of the Rotary Club of West England District 1100 Hub.
“Being brave enough to step into leadership roles teaches you so much. It’s a priceless MBA of leadership skills.”
PICTURED: Former Rotary Scholar Hannah Warren, left, founded a fair-trade clothing company in India that supports women with a living wage, health insurance and childcare.
Others say the leadership model that Rotary imparts is more flexible, and ultimately more powerful, than anything offered in the corporate world.
“When you are in a corporate job, you can command people, right? But not when you are in Rotary,” says Joanne Kam, a past district governor and a member of the Rotary Club of Suntec City in Singapore. She works in real estate and owns a wellness company.
“You don’t give out salaries. Everyone is here to serve. So you have to lead and inspire and motivate in a different way.”
Rotary also offers a multitude of opportunities for mentorship, something women often lack in their professional lives. Only about 27 per cent of women in senior leadership positions around the world report ever having had a formal mentor, compared with 38 per cent of men, according to a 2024 survey by a leadership consulting firm.
“One of the strongest things that we can do for each other in Rotary is mentoring,” Stephanie says.
It’s a topic she’s familiar with, having worked for decades as a leadership consultant and an administrator in higher education.
“That’s a message I frequently share with clubs. Clubs can take a look at their own culture and ask, ‘How are there ways that we can foster mentorship?’”
Ultimately, membership in Rotary confers a benefit that is even more valuable than professional connections or business lessons: a sense of possibility that many women didn’t feel before. As Joanne says: “We don’t get paid. The bonus is our own personal growth, our own self-actualisation.”
That awareness pervades Johrita’s Zoom call. The members have convened to talk about what they’ve accomplished in their careers, but few limit themselves to that narrow metric of personal satisfaction. They speak not just of connections and leadership but of inspiration and imagination.
“I’ve personally gained by being more empathetic, more tolerant, more patient. Rotary teaches you all that,” says Geeta Manek, a past Rotary Foundation trustee and member of the Rotary Club of Muthaiga, Kenya.
“It starts with trust. There’s so much more to Rotary than just doing projects. We empower ourselves. We learn so much.”
MAIN PICTURE: Rotary Youth Exchange alumni network at the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Vic.