I have just had a meeting with MBA Admissions - about women's attendance at INSEAD. Both MBA Admissions and MBA Marketing are willing to put in place measures to boost up female participation (note that two of the current bloggers are women), which is lower than in other Business Schools.

Some of the reasons might be
- recruiting worldwide therefore more subject to cultural differences when it comes to education, career perspectives, etc...
- more difficult to host information sessions, etc...if your targed audience is as dispersed as INSEAD's is
- more difficult to negotiate preferential loans, scholarships, etc...as credit risk is difficult to assess in such an environment. Perhaps an international bank would taylor something in each of its national operation
- moving country, asking partner to follow (maybe), needing assistance for children, etc...makes it daunting for any woman who already has a family. (although French ladies who do not need to move do not represent the majority of women on campus)
- lack of information about what is in place (or lack of infrastructure) to make it easy
- partner network has a majority of women and socially it can be difficult for a male partner => easy solution was to integrate more some of the male partners to social activities, on-campus events, etc...so they stop receiving emails about cooking lessons.
- target audience for candidates would be more banks, consultancies and some universities programs, mainly with numeric courses, skills, etc...
- perceived lack of opportunities after an MBA for women who do not intend to pursue a career and therefore do not think that an MBA is worth the money.
- lack of women's specific activities, clubs, speakers, etc...compared to other schools?
- perhaps over-representation of men on the school site, in club presidencies, etc...
- misconception that Asia or Europe do not present good opportunities for women? Or do not offer a nice environment to live in as a woman for a year?
- so so food at the canteen?
- problem of perceived value of an INSEAD MBA for women?

What could the school do!!!?!?!?!? This question, I pose to all of you!

- offer an open forum of exchange for applicants who could have direct access to the school? Admissions could post messages from time to time
- offer a mentoring service, so that every new admit would have someone to talk to in order to find out ifnormation about the most mundane topic, such as whether an appartment on the 3rd floor of Heritage would be better than an appartment on the 18th floor to which campus to start on, which electives are recommended, interview practice, networking - and just an informal but solid network of friends
- see whether alumni could invite people in their region from time to time
- see whether information sessions could be held at firms hiring regularly from INSEAD
- showcase more profiles and stories of successful women in business (from any school)
- offer more aid mechanisms to women and families
- encourage concerns and questions at an early stage of the admission process
- target also less conventional backgrounds, or universities with a strong presence of women
- see whether there is any partnership that can be worked out between various governments, city officials, banks, etc...to make it easier for women / families to take this year off
- invest in facilitating moves for families
- arrange more facilities to support women with children who are doing their MBA
- sponsor my club

If you are a woman, thinking about applying to Business School and you are looking at INSEAD, seduced by its special environment, if you have any questions, concerns, anything that might make you hesitate - we want to hear from you! INSEAD is ready to put quite some effort into this, but want to make sure that they are doing the right things right!
The situation is far from being dramatic - It is good that the school proactively research this and takes measures to create an environment taht will be equally suitable for male and female candidates.

I believe that a small difference is to be expected, just because of the nature of the school's operations and its reach. This will remain as it is structural. For anything else, there could be a way to improve matters!

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