The possible is not probable? Say what?

Jan. 2, 2011 headline: "Gender Gap: Study Shows Women Still Lag In Salary and Promotions." Starting decade two of the 21st century with this research from Catalyst, a nonprofit agency working to advance women, Cindy Goodman of McClatchy-Tribune wrote: "...an eye-opening report revealed what no one really wants to admit - that the possible is not probable." Say what?

Eye-to-eye with the facts, Goodman appears right. However, women and those who support them need a more aggressive attitude, more of Beyonce's savvy: "If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it." The possible must become inevitable.

This is the fifth consecutive analysis showing upward mobility of women is stagnated. Despite top academic credentials, women hit the glass ceiling. Blaming work/life balance, things like child bearing, is out. Catalyst followed both sexes with equal educations for 10 years, finding that from their first jobs, with or without husbands or children, women are paid and promoted less than men.

New York's Center of Olfactory Art opened last month, placing scent in art's mainstream. Artists, known as "The Nose," allow their named fragrances to be released at the push of a button. Perhaps Catalyst's conclusions could inspire, "This Stinks!"

Battle plans, not victim-mentality, are necessary. The vice president of Catalyst, Jan Combopiano, suggests: "It is about having a career plan in mind, knowing the unwritten rules, and talking to people about what you need to get there." Goldman Sachs' business program, "10,000 Women," launched in 2008, is promoting social change abroad and in the U.S. by economic empowerment. Many women taking part in places like Afghanistan and Rwanda literally put their lives on the line.

Some women undermine themselves. In 2009 the University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management compared female to male managers. The women, though competent, were three times more likely to underrate their bosses' opinions of their job performance. The study said this outlook affects pay and promotion possibilities.

We admire strength. That's why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just landed "most admired woman" in the annual USA Today-Gallop Poll, for the ninth year in a row. That's why Rosie the Riveter flexes her muscle on the "We Can Do It" poster. That's why we mark Sen. Barbara Mikulski's milestone as the longest-serving woman senator in U.S. history and laugh over her story of the shock when she first dared to wear "pants" on the Senate floor.

When the so-called male "math gene" proved non-existent, the conclusion was: "It looks as if the disparity between male and female performance was a result of culture." An unnamed woman made the news Dec. 19, 2010, because the part of her brain registering fear is missing: she literally has no fear. The rest of us need another way to squelch fear of being who we are: "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). That's possible, not just probable.

Finding truth requires the right starting point. That is the quest of this column. If you are a seeker of simple truth, we can find it together - side-by-side.