Now that the economy and job growth are rebounding, it is politics as usual – more specifically, gender politics. As International Women’s Day came and went in mid-March, women were climbing higher up the ladder. According to the National Association for Female Executives, (NAFE) more women are being placed in high profile positions.

HR news boards are buzzing about Deutsche Telekom’s announcement that it will set female manager quotas. The company’s target is to have 30 percent of senior managers represented by women by 2015. Deutsche Telekom’s CEO, René Obermann, calls the move a “categorical necessity for our success,” citing studies that show workplaces with a higher percentage of women are more profitable.

Making the business case for more women in high level positions is doing far more for women than employment equity. The National Association for Female Executives has compiled an impressive stack of statistics in favour of women executives: According to McKinsey’s Women Matter study, companies with a higher percentage of female executives enjoy improved financial and organizational performance. The NAFE also notes studies that have tracked stronger stock performance in companies that have female CEOs or three or more women on the board.

According to the NAFE, the Top 50 companies invest more in leadership training for women. Among the top 10 shattering the glass ceiling are financial firms American Express and Aetna and a number of health and pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott, Johnson & Johnson and Wellpoint.

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