Because according to Lisa Belkin’s article in today’s New York Times, no matter what we women do in the workplace, we can’t win!
There have apparently been umpteen studies by really smart scholars and consultants, and and yet, no one can give concrete on why biases against women still exist in today’s workforce. Why women are grossly underpaid than men (although this is changing in the younger generation, woo hoo!) Why women can’t “get angry” and get away with it (have any of these folks watched Grey’s Anatomy lately?). Why women are worse at negotiating.
I try not to pay attention to these studies, cultural phenomenons or advice. The results and resulting opinions make me cringe. I try not to overthink how this crazy working woman/ mom world works and just be myself. If I’m emotional one day, so be it. If I feel like talking about my kid to my boss the next, great. If I want to be a ball-buster and kick ass at a meeting, wonderful. I am trying not to care how people at work judge me. As you all know, I’m out of the closet. That’s because I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not. Even if in someone else’s mind it means career suicide.
As Belkin quotes experts who say, “the data will be of value only when companies act on it, she said, noting that some are already making changes.” But we all know how slow these changes can be and how little most companies will do to actually make it happen. So we have to make it on our own. Change the stereotypes and perceptions little by little by doing things on our terms. To ultimately swing those studies and statistics in the right direction our own way.
Tags: Lisa Belkin, Feminine Critique, working mom,
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I was a tad depressed after I read that piece, but not surprised.
I second that notion of “staying like I am”
I too am a working mom and work in what used to be a male dominated industry (technology), and am constantly keeping myself in check with other people’s perceptions of me and my work.
Great Blog
I’m glad you’ve touched on this article and working in general. Yours is one of my new favorite blogs.
I have struggled ever since my daughter was born with my relationship with myself as a woman and as a mother and as a working mother. I don’ t think this questions are ever going to be easy to answer, but we need to keep talking abou tit.