By Alvin Powell

Special to the Gazette

Ten years ago, two undergraduate women recognized that female leaders were scarce in the University's extracurricular organizations.

On the heels of that realization came a study that showed women participated less, were more timid, and didn't do as well in classes as their male counterparts.

Decades after the sexual revolution and the birth of the women's liberation movement, the two Ñ Amy Zegart Õ89 and Meredith Lazo McPherron Õ89, MBA Õ93 Ñ decided something had to be done.

"There seemed to be a glass ceiling at the center of the Harvard experience," Zegart recalled.

So they crafted a conference to serve as an incubator for women student leaders. During the five-day event, 35 students would meet with successful women from outside the University; discuss careers and how to balance work and family life; listen to panels on a variety of issues such as race, gender, leadership, and success; and develop practical skills like public speaking, financial planning, and self-defense.

This month, the WomenÕs Leadership Project hosted its 10th annual conference and its 10th anniversary celebration, which featured an address by Canada's first female prime minister, Kim Campbell, on Sept. 13.

"Attending the conference was one of the most amazing experiences I've had at Harvard," said Jennifer Nam, a senior biology and anthropology concentrator. "It was even more inspiring than IÕd expected.Ó

Raising Awareness

Since the project began, the number of women who lead undergraduate organizations has grown by about 30 percent, according to Dean of Students Archie C. Epps. While it is difficult to measure how much of that growth can be credited to the project's efforts, the organization certainly has helped raise awareness about the need for more womenÕs leadership on campus.

The project also serves as a reminder that University officials have a role to play in promoting leadership both of women and of members of minority groups.

Epps said he was surprised when the problem was first broached, because the project's organizers had seemed to be very competent leaders. But as he listened to their concerns, he began to believe in their mission. And, over the years, he has worked to broaden the opportunities and voices of women and of minority groups by encouraging new organizations and publications.

"Every time you look at a specific group's experience based on gender and race, you're really looking through a window at the experience of all students," Epps said. "The project has been a brilliant success involving over 300 undergraduate women."

According to Zegart, the WomenÕs Leadership Project was designed with the conference as its cornerstone and with the triple goals of building a network of women leaders, bolstering leadership skills, and bringing in successful women from the real world to talk about the elements of success.

The annual conference is held in the fall and cosponsored by Harvard, Radcliffe, and the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. Interested students -- men are not barred, though women make up most conference participants -- apply in the spring. From as many as 130 applicants, 30 to 35 participants are chosen, based on the leadership qualities they've demonstrated at Harvard.

Those who've attended speak of the conference in glowing terms. The small size lends an intimacy and intensity to the experience that goes beyond the program's content, which also gets praise from attendees.

Realizing Dreams

Until last year, the conference was the sole event of the Women's Leadership Project, and Zegart is encouraging efforts to broaden the organization's reach.

"I think we've had a tremendous start, but we're kidding ourselves if we think we're done," she said. "The challenge is to realize some of the other dreams we had."

The project's current executive board began to meet that challenge last fall, according to board member Colleen Gaard, a junior concentrating in history and literature.

The board organized the Women's Leadership Network, which provides social networking opportunities and a weekly e-mail newsletter of opportunities for women. It also set up the Undergraduate Women's Partnership Program, which pairs first-year students with upperclass women. The partnership is an informal one, Gaard said, where the older women are a source for advice about day-to-day life.

"All of us on the executive board thought the conference was great, but then we just fell off the face of the Earth," Gaard said. "We're trying to emulate the old boys' network."

Zegart, who works for a management consulting firm in New York City, has stayed in touch with the project since she left Harvard. She enjoys the contact with students and said it keeps her thinking of ways to promote women in leadership.

One step in that direction will be the creation of a permanent advisory board, which will aim to keep graduates involved and promote mentoring relationships among Harvard students and alumnae.

Zegart said the enthusiasm for the project's 10th anniversary celebration makes her optimistic about its future.

In a speech to more than 100 people gathered to mark the milestone, Zegart urged the executive board to think big. Envision a national center dedicated to women leaders, she said, or a national campaign focused on middle-school girls that urges them to speak up and step into leadership roles.

Said Zegart, "A truly great leader makes leaders out of others."