Last Tuesday, the Carlson School of Management hosted the second-annual “Women in Entrepreneurship Conference,” an event held to discuss issues that women face in the business world. Some of the topics on hand were typical to business conferences — networking, financing and communicating one’s value. However, the conference’s primary goal is far from typical of the business world.

This event is a good example of how the University of Minnesota can address the gender inequality that’s inherent in what is typically viewed as a male-dominated subject.

Case in point, “There were 15 female entrepreneurial management undergraduate students at the school, compared to 50 male students,” the Minnesota Daily reported in September.

The success of this event occurs amid a growing national trend in which the corporate world’s male-dominated culture is beginning to change.

A new report by Pew Research Center shows that the majority of Americans think that women are equally as capable of being good political or business leaders as men, and also that women hold an advantage in being seen as more compassionate and ethical. Still, the same study showed that women are likely to face barriers such as gender discrimination.

We commend those who were involved in putting on this conference and urge those who have the resources to continue providing support for women not just in the political and business worlds but also in other fields that are typically male-dominated, such as science and engineering.