Now, she says she wants to help women progress in the workplace. During the lecture, which was the seventh annual Rosalynn Carter Distinguished Lecture in Public Policy, O'Connor encouraged women to pursue managerial positions within top companies and challenged businesses to hire more women for top positions. O'Connor said businesses need women in today's labor market because female executives enable companies to be more in touch with their female customers. She also said women bring unique negotiation and conflict-resolution skills to corporations. Because she said many women are discouraged from entering business careers due to harsh work, travel schedules and limited opportunities for advancement associated with that field, O'Connor appealed to corporations to decrease the barriers for women executives.
Corporations have to decrease the burdens on women.
Recognizing that many women make career decisions at early ages, O'Connor encouraged businesswomen to serve as role models and to offer internships for high school students. In answering preselected questions, O'Connor illustrated her support of increased roles for women in all careers. Although O'Connor said every new justice creates a new Supreme Court, she denied her gender had a significant role in the Court's decisions or her views. Though many students enjoyed the speech, others offered criticism. O'Connor's lecture was originally scheduled for January, but heavy snowfall in Washington forced her to reschedule.