International Women's Day (rant)

[anne_h]

I'm a proud feminist and totally support this day.

Generally I like my employer, but like most companies I think they can do better with having women represented in senior leadership positions (VP+) and on the board. I don't buy for one second that there are not enough interested and qualified female candidates. I personally believe this issue is mostly hiring bias (unconscious or not). One exec said to me "but we have 30%". IMO, that is not enough. 50%+ would be more equitable and representative.

In our company, women are well-represented at the low-middle management levels. Above that, female representation starts dropping off for each successively more senior job level. I'm sure this is the case in many companies. I once had a male colleague tell me that 'women don't want those senior positions, because they want to spend time with their families'. Yes, really. What's scary is that he is likely not alone in this thinking.

Today on our internal communications platform, the (male) company president made a post supporting the day and saying 'we need more women leaders' and 'we take it very seriously'. But there was no mention of what exactly, if anything, is being done about it. The people who replied to his thread were all women saying "thank you!". Another (male) executive made a separate post saying how much he supports womens' groups, and how he is a volunteer mentor to women leaders. That's nice, but again, I want to hear more about actual concrete actions being taken to hire or promote more women into senior leadership positions. Or better yet - actual results with more women leaders in place!

I walked by a non-work public space where an event had been setup in support of the day. The speaker was... a man! lol

Admittedly, I'm still crotchety and not feeling constructive. Lots of nice talk and imagery for the day, but I want to see actual results.

Anne

PS - As a leader, in my own little sphere I try to do my part... eg: ensuring women are hired and promoted fairly. I also spot check for pay equity (so far so good).

 

[TooPatient]

I have mixed feelings on this day. On the one hand, these are issues that need to be talked about and noticed so that is the great part. On the other hand, I see every day as an opportunity to notice women who are doing well, places where women seem to be less welcome, and a chance to teach the younger women/girls that they CAN do anything and to keep working for it even if it is in a "man's" area.
What I saw seemed to be mostly superficial compliments rather than anything much productive.

We need to show our daughters and granddaughters and nieces and cousins that they are smart, capable, competent, and valued every day. We need to set an example and then encourage them to reach for even more. Every day. Not just on one day.

I don't think I am explaining that well! I hope you all understand what I mean and maybe someone can state it better for me.

 

[Arkteia]

First - I am very glad that this holiday is being mentioned in the US. In the 90es, it was basically unknown here.

Second - I think our daughters/nieces/granddaughters are being told that they are smart, capable and competent. They hear the words - they don’t believe them. I think they are still insecure, and also, there is still pressure to be pretty and popular. No one has taken it away. So they are living under double pressure, and it is not right.

Anorexia is still rampant among girls. Also, the world is still much more critical of women, sexually and morally, and holds them to a higher standard than men. The word “sl@t” exists only in a female form, a boy is, maximum, “a cheater”, and it always, always takes two. This is something that is not frequently discussed.

I think we could help young women to be more sure of themselves.

 

[anne_h]

What I saw seemed to be mostly superficial compliments rather than anything much productive.

Totally agree with this.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I work in a female dominated field, education, yet most of our admin are still men. I have thought about joining the ranks but I would wait until I'm in my 40's. My union, the UFT, is currently fighting to have paid parental leave negotiated as part of our contract (private employees in NY now get it but we don't until it's added in). We wore purple to show support and posted pictures on social media, we signed petitions to show the desire, some went to rallies in the city. What surprised me yesterday was how many of my coworkers didn't even know about it. They are mostly young, don't have families, and are nontenured. They don't seem to realize how much this will impact their lives if they choose to have families one day. I need to work on more unity at my site. That is what I will do going forward.

 

[Missy]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/world/international-womens-day-2018.html

International Women’s Day 2018: Beyond #MeToo, With Pride, Protests and Pressure



By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO, RAPHAEL MINDER and YONETTE JOSEPHMARCH 8, 2018

• ROME — In the era of #MeToo and Time’s Up, International Women’s Dayarrived on Thursday with a renewed sense of urgency.
  
  For many women, there was a keen awareness of a major shift in the firmament when it came to gender parity, the treatment of women in the workplace and sexual dynamics.
  
  But others — scratching out lives in developing countries in Africa, toiling away at jobs with little pay in Latin America or scrambling to raise children without help in the Middle East — most likely had little time left over to reflect on the day designated to celebrate “the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women,” and as a call to action, according to the website.
  
  Nonetheless, Margrethe Vestager, the European competition commissioner, said on Twitter: “There is a lot to fight for: Engage! Women and men alike. We need power to make equality a reality.”
  
  Farida Nabourema, a rights advocate from the West African nation of Togo, tweeted: “Today I celebrate all the female activists that are being abusively detained by dictatorial governments all over the world and in #Africa more particularly. Your courage, dedication and empathy shall not be forgotten, and we will keep fighting with you and for you.”
  
  
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  A demonstration for women’s rights in Bilbao, Spain. CreditVincent West/Reuters
  Some women, fueled by impatience over the long-running fight for equality and the sense that the glacial pace of change would just not do, found large and small ways to protest — with pots and pans, raised fists and howls of rage.
  
  
  A ‘domestic strike,’ and a discount
  To highlight gender inequality, feminist groups in Spain asked women to spend no money and to ignore chores for the day — to go on a “domestic” strike. The newspaper El País posted a video explaining why it was not fully staffed: The women were away.
  
  Hundreds of women gathered at midnight in Puerta del Sol, in the heart of Madrid, to kick off a day of protests across the country, with about 120 demonstrations scheduled later on Thursday. Women banged pots and pans and shouted slogans during the protests.
  
  The mobilization in Spain had the backing of most trade unions. Ten unions called for a 24-hour strike, while others called for two-hour work stoppages. Service on Madrid’s metro system was significantly disrupted after hundreds of trains stopped running.
  
  The women’s strike was covered extensively on Spain’s morning TV and radio shows, but not by the country’s most famous female presenters, who stayed away from work.
  
  
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  A Palestinian schoolgirl during a school trip to mark Women’s Day in Gaza City. CreditMohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
  “If women stop, it has to be noticed,” Ana Rosa Quintana, a TV presenter, wrote on Twitter.
  
  The issue also generated some controversy. The regional Parliament of Valencia was split on Thursday, as right-leaning female lawmakers took part in a session while their left-wing counterparts left the assembly and hung signs on their chairs that read, “I’m stopping.”
  
  The leader in Valencia of the conservative Popular Party, Isabel Bonig, argued that striking lawmakers ridiculed the sacrifice made by other women because they could leave the session for a few hours without suffering financial consequences — unlike other women in other professions.
  
  Data from the European Union’s statistical provider Eurostat show that women in Spain were paid 13 percent less in the public sector and 19 percent less in the private sector than their male counterparts. In 2016, women’s gross hourly earnings in the European Union were, on average, 16.2 percent below those of men.
  
  The call for a strike went out in England, too, where a group called the Women’s Strike Assembly UK posted on social media: “Today #WeStrike! Wear red, bring an umbrella & join us.” And in France, where the pay gap is 25 percent, according to one paper, Libération, the day’s edition was sold with two prices: 2 euros for women and €2.50 for men.
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  The Libération daily newspaper in France gave women a special discount for Thursday’s edition.CreditStephane De Sakutin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
  In Italy, marches were held in dozens of cities and women were encouraged to strike. The Italian post office issued four stamps dedicated to the “Italian female genius.” Countless mimosa tree branches were felled so that women could receive gifts of small bouquets of the odorous yellow flowers.
  
  
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  Band members of the Armed Police Force at a rally for International Women’s Day in Kathmandu, Nepal. CreditNavesh Chitrakar/Reuters
  Representatives of a project called 100 Women against Stereotypes met in Rome to promote an online platform that sponsors female experts in a variety of areas.
  
  And after being held inside Vatican City for years, the Voices of Faith conference, which champions women’s leadership in the global Catholic community, moved to the headquarters of the Jesuit order. The venue was moved after the Vatican expressed disapproval of the choice of three speakers on the schedule, including a former president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, who has championed women’s ordination.
  
  As thousands of students marched in Milan on Thursday morning, one group broke off to chant slogans in front of a hospital, protesting the majority of Italian doctors who refuse to perform abortions, even though it is legal.
  
  In Rome, the actress Asia Argento, who has received criticism in Italy for accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, was among those who marched.
  
  Defying Duterte in Manila
  In the Philippine capital, women took to the streets and denounced President Rodrigo Duterte as among the worst violators of women’s rights in Asia.
  
  
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  A memorial in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, for women who were violently killed. CreditJose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters
  Hundreds of activists sang and danced in a boisterous rally in Plaza Miranda, in central Manila, while handing red and white roses to the mothers, sisters and widows of those suspected of drug offenses who have been slain under Mr. Duterte’s brutal crackdown.
  
  The protesters noted the thousands of people they say have died in extrajudicial killings — accusations the police have denied. One protest leader, Jean Enriquez, condemned Mr. Duterte’s remarks against women, including one in which he asked troops to shoot female communist rebels in the genitals.
  
  “We’re so alarmed,” she said, according to The Associated Press. “We have seen his direct attacks on women under his iron-hand rule, and it’s now time to heighten our resistance.”
  
  In India, where the gang rape of women and sexual assaults on young girls have brought anguish and soul searching, students, teachers and workers in the sex industry marched toward Parliament, demanding action against domestic violence, sexual attacks and discrimination in jobs and wages.
  
  “Unite against violence against women,” one placard read. “My body, My choice,” read another.
  
  
  
  
  OPEN INTERACTIVE FEATURE
  In China, the forever boyfriend
  Students at Tsinghua University celebrated International Women’s Day with banners making light of a proposed constitutional amendment to scrap term limits and allow President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely, according to news reports.
  
  One banner said that a boyfriend’s term should also have no limits, while another said, “A country cannot exist without a Constitution, as we cannot exist without you!”
  
  Photographs of the banners were shared on Chinese social media before they were swiftly removed — most likely by censors.
  
  ‘A revolution afoot’ in South Korea
  More than 500 women’s rights leaders gathered in Seoul, vowing to keep up a #MeToo campaign that has gained steam in South Korea. Political leaders raced to join them to voice their support ahead of elections scheduled for June to select mayors and provincial governors.
  
  In central Seoul, feminist activists handed out white roses as a symbol of support for the movement. Nearby, hundreds of labor activists rallied and waved #MeToo signs.
  
  Another group of female workers held a rally holding signs that said, “Stop at 3 p.m.” The wage gap between men and women was so wide in South Korea that women should stop working at that time to break even, they said.
  
  
  
  
  
  Photo
  
  
  
  A demonstration in New Delhi on Thursday. CreditRajat Gupta/European Pressphoto Agency
  
  
  The Korean Women’s Associations United called for reform in the country’s “patriarchal social structure that breeds gender discrimination.”
  
  “We see a revolution afoot,” it said. “And the leader of this revolution is women.”
  
  Marching, despite the Taliban
  When the Taliban ruled parts of Afghanistan, many women were too afraid to leave their homes. But on Thursday, hundreds marched in Kabul, the capital, to remind their leaders that much work needed to be done to give Afghan woman a voice, ensure their education and protect them from often brutal violence and an oppressive patriarchic system.
  
  The head of the Independent Human Rights Commission, Sima Samar, speaking about women in the country’s security forces, declared, “Your safety represents the safety of all Afghan women.”

Interestingly enough the first Women's Day ever was celebrated in New York in 1909...
"While the first observance of a Women's Day was held on February 28, 1909 in New York, March 8 was suggested by the 1910 International Socialist Woman's Conferenceto become an "International Woman's Day." After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there."

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Women are well represented throughout my organization--at present the President is a woman. (FWIW, many women have been President or COO over the decades)

cheers--Sharon

 

[bludiva]

I'm a proud feminist and totally support this day.

Generally I like my employer, but like most companies I think they can do better with having women represented in senior leadership positions (VP+) and on the board. I don't buy for one second that there are not enough interested and qualified female candidates. I personally believe this issue is mostly hiring bias (unconscious or not). One exec said to me "but we have 30%". IMO, that is not enough. 50%+ would be more equitable and representative.

In our company, women are well-represented at the low-middle management levels. Above that, female representation starts dropping off for each successively more senior job level. I'm sure this is the case in many companies. I once had a male colleague tell me that 'women don't want those senior positions, because they want to spend time with their families'. Yes, really. What's scary is that he is likely not alone in this thinking.

Today on our internal communications platform, the (male) company president made a post supporting the day and saying 'we need more women leaders' and 'we take it very seriously'. But there was no mention of what exactly, if anything, is being done about it. The people who replied to his thread were all women saying "thank you!". Another (male) executive made a separate post saying how much he supports womens' groups, and how he is a volunteer mentor to women leaders. That's nice, but again, I want to hear more about actual concrete actions being taken to hire or promote more women into senior leadership positions. Or better yet - actual results with more women leaders in place!

I walked by a non-work public space where an event had been setup in support of the day. The speaker was... a man! lol

Admittedly, I'm still crotchety and not feeling constructive. Lots of nice talk and imagery for the day, but I want to see actual results.

Anne

PS - As a leader, in my own little sphere I try to do my part... eg: ensuring women are hired and promoted fairly. I also spot check for pay equity (so far so good).

Thank you for mentioning this. Everywhere I've worked it's been a higher proportion of women in the lower to mid-management positions and mostly men at the top layers. All the usual excuses. It's disheartening. I hope more and more people (men and women!) follow the example in your postscript...it's not just better for women but for companies overall to have more balanced leadership. But loss of advantage is threatening to those who have it, right? So it's going to take a long long time. :/

 

[anne_h]

But loss of advantage is threatening to those who have it, right?

Totally. Although I do think some of the unbalanced hiring and promotion decisions we see are due to unconscious bias (vs intentional). That said, I strongly believe my employer can do better in effecting change. The time for talk is over. Now it's time for actual results! lol

I'm trying to raise my kids to be equality minded. My oldest is a boy who's 12. I have defined feminism to him as being 'supporting the equality of women'. He paused and said - "Why would anyone *not* be a feminist?" Indeed!

Then we had a good conversation about why some people (mostly men) still perpetuate patriarchy (ie: because it benefits them). To your point.

I told him I don't expect he will be the one aggressing against girls (he better not be!!), but that his job will be that if he ever sees his friends / peers doing it, he needs to jump in there! Ditto for any other type of abuse or bullying.

My girls are still quite young, but already one of them had a young boy trying to touch her in a way she did not like. I asked if she told him no, and she said she had not... because she didn't want to cause a scene or embarrass him. So that socialization starts early. I was so angry! (Not at her, but the situation.) I told her she absolutely must speak up for herself and that anyone who doesn't listen is in the wrong and should be called out, not protected. Young boys (or anyone) who learn they can do whatever they want grow up to be adults who do the same...

Anne

 

[FinleysMom]

When I was in fifth grade a boy slapped me on the ass. I knew he had seen it at home between his parents....but I still hauled off and slapped his face! Never had any issues since....we have been friends since school and we never spoke of that day. Lol! YES IT STARTS YOUNG.

FM

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Meant to post this earlier.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/manit...irst-female-indigenous-medevac-team-1.3837901



cheers--Sharon

 

[Bron357]

I feel that women these days have far more opportunities and it’s more accepted that women can and will pursue careers as well as (or instead of) family life.
I’m in my 50s now and I still remember being asked (in my 30s) why I wasn’t at home raising kids? I worked in finance so it was male dominated. And I saw, time and time again, women have children and after 2, not return back to work or change to part time work and lesser work responsibilities so as to better manage the “family”. Even I had to do it, because the facts were someone had to pick our daughter up from child care before 6pm and that meant leaving work at 5pm. Someone had to take time off work when she got sick (me) and my previous work role involved interstate travel regularly and on short notice just couldn’t be managed once we had our daughter. My husband also had a demanding job (in finance) with interstate and international travel so it was either him or me and seeing as his salary was more, it was me who had to bend.
So the bottom line is still, that if you have family responsibilities and dont have a private nanny or family nearby to babysit / do childcare drop off and pick up, someone has to bend as most jobs aren’t very “family friendly”.
My daughter, in high school, is at a Selective school (that’s kids selected on their academic potential). It’s co-ed. Interestingly the top 3 achievers each year for 4 years now have all been women, yet the split is about 40/60 females/ males. So it’s obvious that women certainly have the potential to achieve.
The unfortunate fact remains that women are still more heavily “tied” to family responsibilities and that inadvertently translates into less women in higher positions. As a woman it’s said that to be considered “half as good” you have be “twice as good as your male counterpart”.

 

[TooPatient]

I feel that women these days have far more opportunities and it’s more accepted that women can and will pursue careers as well as (or instead of) family life.
I’m in my 50s now and I still remember being asked (in my 30s) why I wasn’t at home raising kids? I worked in finance so it was male dominated. And I saw, time and time again, women have children and after 2, not return back to work or change to part time work and lesser work responsibilities so as to better manage the “family”. Even I had to do it, because the facts were someone had to pick our daughter up from child care before 6pm and that meant leaving work at 5pm. Someone had to take time off work when she got sick (me) and my previous work role involved interstate travel regularly and on short notice just couldn’t be managed once we had our daughter. My husband also had a demanding job (in finance) with interstate and international travel so it was either him or me and seeing as his salary was more, it was me who had to bend.
So the bottom line is still, that if you have family responsibilities and dont have a private nanny or family nearby to babysit / do childcare drop off and pick up, someone has to bend as most jobs aren’t very “family friendly”.
My daughter, in high school, is at a Selective school (that’s kids selected on their academic potential). It’s co-ed. Interestingly the top 3 achievers each year for 4 years now have all been women, yet the split is about 40/60 females/ males. So it’s obvious that women certainly have the potential to achieve.
The unfortunate fact remains that women are still more heavily “tied” to family responsibilities and that inadvertently translates into less women in higher positions. As a woman it’s said that to be considered “half as good” you have be “twice as good as your male counterpart”.

We have definitely come a long way from what it was!

The thing we kept trying to get "A" to understand is that certain areas allow for more flexibility than others so she needs to think about what she pictures in her life as part of choosing what she wants to do at school and for a career. For example, software is (generally) more flexible. You can arrange to work from home if you need to be on bed rest (if you don't just opt to take leave). You can have (mostly) flexible hours. You can even do contracts during summers and take the rest of the year off (or do small projects). Attorneys can have a far more difficult time. I recall one of the ladies on PS posting in the pregnancy section that she was negotiating to try to get her hours reduced to just 40 per week.
Anyway, a lot of the "traditionally male" fields have positions that would allow a woman to have the flexibility at the same time as having a career but I notice that is not something that is talked about at school or even in many homes as future plans are discussed.

I talked about all this with DH and he definitely agrees we have come a long way and have more to go. He told me about his mom (he is in his 60s, she is in her 80s now) going to work and her challenges. She works in the medical field in a laboratory setting. Part of her normal work day in the 1950s and 60s was trying to keep the doctors from slapping her butt or rubbing her breasts. That was just normal around there. They also had a policy that a husband and wife could not work in the same department. They decided to hire her husband and then fired her due to the policy. The reasoning given is that she should be home with the kids and it was a man's place to make money.

 

[Bron357]

Yes, my dear daughter when at primary school (that’s under 12) wanted to be a teacher so she could have long holidays and look after her children.
Now at 16 going on 17 her priorities have changed.
She wants to go into medicine or medical research (she has the brains for it) and blithely said she’ll find a “house husband” or hire a private nanny because she is going to do what she’s wants to do!

 

[arkieb1]

Yes, my dear daughter when at primary school (that’s under 12) wanted to be a teacher so she could have long holidays and look after her children.
Now at 16 going on 17 her priorities have changed.
She wants to go into medicine or medical research (she has the brains for it) and blithely said she’ll find a “house husband” or hire a private nanny because she is going to do what she’s wants to do!

There might be some advantages in finding a suitable "house husband" - one of my best friends from high school worked in mid to senior level financial roles and then moved to the country and now owns and runs her own large accountancy firm. Her husband stays at home and cooks, cleans and makes the most fantastic cakes and pastries and looks after 5 children. One of my two best friends from University who is a lawyer just had her first child in her mid 40s and she is taking 12 months maternity leave and then going back to work, her husband is a senior engineer but as a senior lawyer she earns far more than he does.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Yes, my dear daughter when at primary school (that’s under 12) wanted to be a teacher so she could have long holidays and look after her children.
Now at 16 going on 17 her priorities have changed.
She wants to go into medicine or medical research (she has the brains for it) and blithely said she’ll find a “house husband” or hire a private nanny because she is going to do what she’s wants to do!

I don't know why people think teaching is easy, it sure isn't here in the US. I'm a teacher, my technical hours might not be super long but the work I have to do at home more than makes up for it. My husband's job in general is much less demanding than mine, if either of us were to ever quit and stay home it would be him. I work summers (as do most teachers) so the whole "long holidays" thing only counts if you don't need money in general. Good luck to her in med school!

 

[Bron357]

I don't know why people think teaching is easy, it sure isn't here in the US. I'm a teacher, my technical hours might not be super long but the work I have to do at home more than makes up for it. My husband's job in general is much less demanding than mine, if either of us were to ever quit and stay home it would be him. I work summers (as do most teachers) so the whole "long holidays" thing only counts if you don't need money in general. Good luck to her in med school!

Here in Australia I believe teachers are better supported, recognised and paid than in the US. I know teaching isn’t an easy job, heavens, I only had the one child and at times tore my hair out. How teachers cope with 30 kids at a time all day, all week has me in awe. Highest respect to teachers.
I think her change of career choice has more to do with her recognizing that her role any partnership is equal and she doesn’t have to make career choices around child care responsibilities.
She would make an excellent teacher but if she’d rather find a cure for cancer, I say “go girl, you can do anything”!

 

[Missy]

I don't know why people think teaching is easy, it sure isn't here in the US. I'm a teacher, my technical hours might not be super long but the work I have to do at home more than makes up for it. My husband's job in general is much less demanding than mine, if either of us were to ever quit and stay home it would be him. I work summers (as do most teachers) so the whole "long holidays" thing only counts if you don't need money in general. Good luck to her in med school!

Only ignorant people think teaching is an easy job. It is one of the most challenging jobs that exists. And for sure one of the most critical too. A dedicated good teacher is invaluable. Anyone undertaking this challenging under compensated frustrating profession is awe inspiring. Thank you to all the teachers who do what they do day after day with little reward.