--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we don't find a way to keep women in…" description: "\"If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce, keep them productive, keep them happy, we are literally just throwing our investment down the dr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png" --- # If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce… ![“If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce, keep them productive, keep them happy, we are literally just throwing our investment down the drain, and we can't afford to do that.” quote by Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png) > “If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce, keep them productive, keep them happy, we are literally just throwing our investment down the drain, and we can't afford to do that.” [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Investing in women's retention and satisfaction is essential for economic efficiency and avoiding wasteful losses. **In simple terms:** Retaining happy women workers prevents wasteful loss. Key Takeaway Prioritize policies that support women at work. Themes gender equality workplace retention economic efficiency Mood concerned determined Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - corporate HR strategy - policy making - leadership meetings Key Concepts human capital productivity investment return Questions to Reflect On - How can companies measure the impact of retention programs? - What cultural changes are needed alongside policies? A Different Perspective Women may face systemic barriers that policies alone cannot fully resolve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drain Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drain-afford-305097/) [Drains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drains/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investment/) [Investment Drain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investment-drain-305096/) [Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productive/) [Throwing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throwing/) [Throwing Investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throwing-investment-305098/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Women Workforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-workforce-305095/) [Workforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workforce/) ## Related quotes > [We had early on women having the right to vote, then women in the workforce during WWII, just going back in history, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-had-early-on-women-having-the-right-to-vote-then-women-in-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [We need to go back to taking women out of the workforce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-strickland/we-need-to-go-back-to-taking-women-out-of-the-workforce/) [Sean Strickland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-strickland/) > [I'm not telling women to be like men. I'm telling us to evaluate what men and women do in the workforce and at home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-m-not-telling-women-to-be-like-men-i-m-telling-us-to-evaluate-what/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I think that the female workforce is so valuable. And if we're going to champion women in the workforce, which our economy seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-scorsone/i-think-that-the-female-workforce-is-so-valuable-and-if-we-re-going/) [Caterina Scorsone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-scorsone/) > [We have a very long way to go to really penetrate the power structure. Until that happens, you will not see stability among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faye-wattleton/we-have-a-very-long-way-to-go-to-really-penetrate-the-power-structure/) [Faye Wattleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faye-wattleton/) > [There are certainly a lot of things that still need to change when it comes to women in the workforce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/there-are-certainly-a-lot-of-things-that-still-need-to-change-when-it/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Title IX is huge for sports but also its helped move our nation to a place where we can accept women in the workforce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/title-ix-is-huge-for-sports-but-also-its-helped-move-our-nation-to-a/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [Empowering women in the workforce is a key to growing the economy and having a thriving middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/empowering-women-in-the-workforce-is-a-key-to-growing-the-economy-and/) [Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/) > [Most female CEOs have been more understanding than their male counterparts, of the stress that new mothers experience to 'do it all,' which often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/most-female-ceos-have-been-more-understanding-than-their-male/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [“But the more empowered women in the workforce, the better. The more that women mentor women, the stronger our answer is to the old-boys’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/but-the-more-empowered-women-in-the-workforce-the-better-the-more/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [There is no doubt that the participation of women in the workforce is a serious productivity boost, but to enable this ambition, there must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharan-burrow/there-is-no-doubt-that-the-participation-of-women-in-the-workforce-is/) [Sharan Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharan-burrow/) > [The women's movement in the 1970s led more women into the workforce and got them closer to pay equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/the-women-s-movement-in-the-1970s-led-more-women-into-the-workforce/) [Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/) > [Usually women are the lynchpins of the family. They carry the brunt of the work at home and of being mothers and of taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-maloney/usually-women-are-the-lynchpins-of-the-family-they-carry-the-brunt-of/) [Carolyn Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-maloney/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Go to a playground: Little girls get called 'bossy' all the time, a word that's almost never used for boys. And that leads directly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/go-to-a-playground-little-girls-get-called-bossy-all-the-time-a-word/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) ## More by Debora Spar > [I think sometimes by portraying our lives as being too perfect, as being too balanced, we're actually selling younger women a bill of goods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-think-sometimes-by-portraying-our-lives-as-being-too-perfect-as/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I think what women are doing to themselves is that they're seeing these different images of perfection - the perfect wife, the perfect mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-think-what-women-are-doing-to-themselves-is-that-they-re-seeing/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I think one thing that women can do is to just be more honest, with themselves and with their friends, and be more willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-think-one-thing-that-women-can-do-is-to-just-be-more-honest-with/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I really don't see any men sitting in the corner office plotting to keep women out. All the men I know are actively trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-really-don-t-see-any-men-sitting-in-the-corner-office-plotting-to/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [Don't take too much credit for your children - or too much blame!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/don-t-take-too-much-credit-for-your-children-or-too-much-blame/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [We've reached the point where the demand for rules is about to replace the demand for chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/we-ve-reached-the-point-where-the-demand-for-rules-is-about-to/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I certainly wouldn't go back and blame feminism, because all that feminism was really trying to do, which was huge, was to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-certainly-wouldn-t-go-back-and-blame-feminism-because-all-that/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [It's oppressive. ... It's food, it's clothing, it's all the magazines that come under the heading of things looking simple. Men's magazines don't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/it-s-oppressive-it-s-food-it-s-clothing-it-s-all-the-magazines-that/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [They're coming out of high school exhausted. The pressure in high school is killing these kids. By the time they get to college, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/they-re-coming-out-of-high-school-exhausted-the-pressure-in-high/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [Feminism wasn’t supposed to make us miserable. It was supposed to make us free; to give women the power to shape their fortunes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/feminism-wasn-t-supposed-to-make-us-miserable-it-was-supposed-to-make/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [We must...forge partnerships with those around us, and begin to dismantle the myth of solitary perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/we-must-forge-partnerships-with-those-around-us-and-begin-to/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [If two people have a couple of kids, somebody does have to take care of the kids. Somebody does have to cook dinner; somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/if-two-people-have-a-couple-of-kids-somebody-does-have-to-take-care/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I think what we need to do is to step back as a society and say okay, we've kind of turned things upside-down. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/i-think-what-we-need-to-do-is-to-step-back-as-a-society-and-say-okay/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [Rather than seeing the opportunities that feminism created they very easy morph into expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/rather-than-seeing-the-opportunities-that-feminism-created-they-very/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > ['Maybe' is what gets us into trouble, because I think constantly women are saying I'll try to do it, maybe I'll do it, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/maybe-is-what-gets-us-into-trouble-because-i-think-constantly-women/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) [Explore all 24 Debora Spar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) ## More Drains quotes > [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/) [Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/) > [People project a grey energy that is very destructive to weaken you, to drain you - just as the snake uses position to capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-project-a-grey-energy-that-is-very-destructive-to-weaken-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It was October again ... a glorious October, all red and gold, with mellow mornings when the valleys were filled with delicate mists as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/it-was-october-again-a-glorious-october-all-red-and-gold-with-mellow/) [Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/) > [Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/whatever-excites-you-go-do-it-whatever-drains-you-stop-doing-it/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [I find Nigeria very frustrating. I am not alone in this. There are many Nigerians abroad. As you know, the brain drain is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-find-nigeria-very-frustrating-i-am-not-alone-in-this-there-are-many/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Ender stepped under the water and rinsed himself, took the sweat of combat and let it run down the drain. All gone, except they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-stepped-under-the-water-and-rinsed-himself-took-the-sweat-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Holy is the dish and drain, the soap and sink, and the cup and plate and the warm wool socks, and the cold white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-newcomer/holy-is-the-dish-and-drain-the-soap-and-sink-and-the-cup-and-plate/) [Carrie Newcomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-newcomer/) > [If Under fell, if Over leaped, If death was life and Death life reaped, Something rises from the gloom, To make the Underland a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/if-under-fell-if-over-leaped-if-death-was-life-and-death-life-reaped/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [The culture of independent film criticism has totally gone down the drain and this seems to come with the territory of the consumer age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/the-culture-of-independent-film-criticism-has-totally-gone-down-the/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [Common courtesy dictates that we never drain the lifeblood of anyone to whom we've been formally introduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/common-courtesy-dictates-that-we-never-drain-the-lifeblood-of-anyone/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [People only love you as long as they're getting something of you, but the minute you say something they don't want to hear or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/people-only-love-you-as-long-as-they-re-getting-something-of-you-but/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [Jace looked as if she had slapped him. "Why are you determined not to believe us?" "Because she loves you," said Valentine. Clary felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jace-looked-as-if-she-had-slapped-him-why-are-you-determined-not-to/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not suggesting our music is the only music, but I am suggesting that there are certain elements in America's culture that are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/i-m-not-suggesting-our-music-is-the-only-music-but-i-am-suggesting/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) > [If a country can't save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say : Let the damned thing go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-country-can-t-save-itself-through-the-volunteer-service-of-its/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-already-settled-it-for-myself-so-flattery-and-criticism-go/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 338 Drains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce, keep them productive, keep them happy, we are literally just throwing our investment down the drain, and we can't afford to do that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Debora Spar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in-the-workforce-keep-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drains" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in-the-workforce-keep-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/debora-spar-24663_drains_if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in_2433034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we don't find a way to keep women in the workforce, keep them productive, keep them happy, we are…” — Debora Spar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Debora Spar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we don't find a way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in-the-workforce-keep-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/if-we-don-t-find-a-way-to-keep-women-in-the-workforce-keep-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```