Have a penis and testicles. It is best if you are born with said twig and berries, but I guess a gender reassignment would get you the same result. That being said, this series of blogs is about those of us who were born with and decided to keep our jayjays and are trying to make it in the business world.
Now for the disclaimers: I am NOT a bra-burning womens' libber. I do believe that there are LOTS of jobs in this world that are better suited for men than women. And I'm okay with that, because I also happen to believe that there are LOTS Of jobs in this world that are better suited for women than men. I just wholeheartedly believe that, if a man wants to become a nurse (traditionally viewed as a woman's job), or a woman wants to become a mechanic (traditionally viewed as a man's job), then more power to him or her and they should each get the same fair treatment from their employers. I will be making reference in these posts to jobs viewed as being traditionally male or female. This doesn't make me sexist or mean I am being derogatory toward those professions. I'm just using them as examples to illustrate the working world as I see it.
As sad as it may seem, and as jaded as it makes me sound, gender equality in a corporate environment is like Nessie. It doesn't exist. We live in a world where women who are well into their 40's are having children and women are allowed to serve in the military right along side their male counterparts (and excel in doing so). I can't think of a single job that men do that women either aren't allowed to do or aren't capable of doing. Yet, if a woman and a man - both with the same education, certifications, and experience - both apply for the same job/promotion in a corporate-type environment AND (this is a big AND) the person doing the hiring is a man, the male candidate will, 9 times out of 10, get the job/promotion. That's isn't equality. Equality is 5 times out of 10 (no extra charge for that little math lesson).
Women are usually seen as fragile, emotional airheads who will believe whatever they are told, so long as the voice telling it to them is attached to a man. I cannot begin to count the number of times that something has gone wrong with my car or I've needed a repair done at my house and the man on the other end of the phone either talks to me like English is my second language or blatantly lies to me because after all, that pair of tits on the other end of the phone will believe absolutely anything, right? Wrong.
On the other side of the perception coin is the woman who uses her intelligence and strength and shows the world what a tough bird she can be. I'm all about being true to oneself, but that can backfire, too. Women like that are usually seen in the corporate setting as battleaxes (think SNL's version of Janet Reno). It is also usually assumed that this type of woman prefers the company of other women over the company of men. So you have lots and lots of women out there who are, in fact, extremely smart and capable, yet they play the ditz card for fear of not being accepted.
So, where does that leave us? How can we make it better? I have no idea.
Check back soon for Lesson #2 - Distance Yourself.
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