There still remains an inherent stigma across the world about women being productive and successful in their careers outside the home.  On the one hand, we have lived in a patriarchal framework for thousands of years, and so the notion that women can function within a man's working world, and be proficient and prolific, is seen as a stretch.  Let a man be a man and a woman be a woman, some people would say.

But then there are the facts of what is happening to the American workforce: women compose almost 47% of the workforce and women own over 10 million businesses. According to the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute’s Female Entrepreneurship Index, the U.S. scores highest for development of "high potential female entrepreneurship," followed by Australia and the U.K.

So perhaps the paradigm is shifting, which is a uncertainty throughout human history.  Women have a lot to add to the fold, and they are ready and willing to provide solutions and economic opportunity to a variety of areas of industry.  As a nation, our economy deserves and needs this fresh perspective.

On July 26th, that's what we discussed in more detail at the Women At Work event, curated by SALLY, an organization devoted to empowering women.  What is it like to be a working woman in present times?  And how do we overcome prejudice in the workplace so that women can focus on doing what they do best: their job?

In collaboration with women-owned Boxcarr Handmade Cheese, Cheese Grotto sponsored and assembled the cheese boards for this special gathering.  

 Photography by Jacquelyne Pierson.