Key Messages
The Power Of Eleanor Holmes Norton: Recognizing And Fighting Everyday Sexism In The Workplace
Fighting gender discrimination is a fight that must be continued if we want to see true equality in the world.
In 1970, Eleanor Holmes Norton took on one of the first public fights against gender discrimination by suing Newsweek magazine for their hiring practices – which only employed men.
Today, gender discrimination takes on much more subtle forms and it is both harder to spot and challenge.
That’s why researches, writers and activists have developed methods and strategies which can help us to continue the fight against sexism.
Through Feminist Fight Club, you can learn about common examples of sexist behaviour and how to deal with them knowing what your rights are, as well as important negotiation tips, such as bropriators and femenemies, and identifying speech patterns which should be avoided.
Functional understanding backed up with detailed written references is key in this area – so do your reading!
With knowledge comes power; use it to stay informed on how best to assert your rights in a workplace where equality between genders should always remain the goal.
How Women Can Fight Against Dominant Men And The Unacceptable Tactics They Use
In general, male employees in the workplace often display sexist behaviors that limit the autonomy and opportunities of women in their pursuit of career advancement.
One example is manterrupting, which is when a male interrupts a female colleague as she’s speaking.
It aims to make the woman feel powerless and shuts her down from expressing her thoughts or ideas.
Another is bropriating, where a man takes credit for an idea that was proposed by a female employee.
This reinforces unequal power dynamics and reduces the chances of women getting recognition in the workplace.
Mansplaining also works to undermine a woman’s opinion by implying that her explanation is inferior because of her gender.
Women should call out such activities whenever possible and encourage equal dialog between genders.
Additionally, making women responsible for tasks like fetching coffee or cleaning up afterwards lowers their perceived value at work and hinders them from advancing their careers.
By refusing such demands and rightfully claiming credit for their accomplishments, women can take steps to combat unfair expectations imposed upon them due to their gender.
Women Need Solidarity To Overcome Challenges In The Workplace
Women are not solely responsible for the hardships they experience in the workplace, but they do have a part to play.
Historically, women have been viewed as weak and this has led to a lack of confidence in their own abilities.
This can result in self-sabotage such as imposter syndrome – feelings of inadequacy due to an inner self-doubt.
Another example is taking on the role of ‘office mom’ – being too humble or modest and undervaluing oneself.
This lowers their confidence even further, making it difficult to succeed in their career.
To combat this, women should take charge and practice powerful poses, such as imitating Wonder Woman’s stance, which can help raise testosterone levels over two minutes and build self-confidence.
Some women also put too much pressure on themselves by attempting to be perfect at work.
This results in exhaustion so they should focus more on striking a balance between work and personal life through improved stress management or reducing overtime hours for example.
Finally, women are often pitted against each other leading to femenemies who discredit their peers for their own success thus hindering female solidarity.
It’s only by raising awareness thereof that we can make sure that women support each other through hiring promoting and mentoring instead of damaging one another’s prospects of advancement.
We Must Work Together To Degenderize Leadership And Lift Up Women
Women leaders often have to deal with booby traps, or long-held stereotypes that limit and drag down their success.
This is usually due to the traditional view of leadership being an inherently male quality.
Studies have shown that Americans still favor male bosses over female ones and this is evidence of how deeply entrenched these stereotypes are.
Women in positions of power are often seen as bossy or too ambitious and are seen as incapable of tackling the job at hand.
As a result, they must work harder to prove their intellect – something that isn’t required for males in the same positions.
Women also find themselves undervalued at work meetings, with their views not taken into consideration as much as they should be.
The so-called “glass cliff” is also prevalent, which happens when women take over failing companies, only to be blamed when those companies fail despite having little control over it’s downward trajectory prior to taking charge.
It’s important for women leaders to remember never to shoulder the blame unnecessarily and use proof that the company was already headed for failure before you had anything to do with it.
Don’T Let Your Speech Pattern Hold You Back: Eliminate Fillers And Avoid Upseak And Vocal Fry
It’s no exaggeration to say that a woman’s speech pattern can affect how she is perceived.
Certain fillers women tend to use, such as “like” and “um,” work against her, taking away from the importance of what she’s saying.
It’s important for women to be aware of their own speech patterns and identify filler words they’re using so they can make conscious effort to avoid them in order to sound more dignified.
Another example of a habit that can sacrifice a female’s worth is apologizing too often, even if it’s not necessary.
Another issue includes the use of hedges like “I feel like…” when trying to argue a point.
Women should strive toward speaking out without any doubts or apprehensions.
Finally, two very common habits – upspeak and vocal fry – should also be avoided if possible since both give off the impression that the speaker lacks confidence.
It may take some time for these habits to go away but with determination and practice, speaking with a powerful and authoritative voice becomes easier over time, leading peers and superiors in your field to show you much proper respect as you deserve .
How Women Can Become Better Negotiators And Close The Wage Gap
It’s no secret that women are less likely to negotiate salary and benefits compared to men.
This is largely due to a wage gap between genders and the perception by some employers that it is pushy for women to ask for higher pay.
As a result, many women miss out on the opportunity of earning what they deserve in the workplace.
Fortunately, there are tools and tactics that can be used by women so they can become more confident and successful negotiators.
For starters, keeping track of your own contributions at work can provide you with evidence to back up your negotiations.
Websites such as Glassdoor also provide an employee perspective on salaries which helps inform your talks with an employer about money.
Additionally, preparing for any potential pushback during your negotiation process is key, so practicing what you’ll say in front of a mirror will help strengthen your confidence even further.
Finally, taking initiative to spread empowering knowledge among other females in particular industries can help close in on the gender wage gap by making sure all women are paid fairly for the work they do.
So always remember: know your worth and never hesitate to fight for a salary that reflects it!
Wrap Up
The key takeaway from Feminist Fight Club, is that women face a tremendous amount of obstacles in achieving success, professionally and otherwise.
Women need to recognize these obstacles, be vocal about the injustices they witness, and come together to create their own support system.
The actionable advice then is to create your own feminist fight club by gathering a group of like-minded professionals – friends or colleagues – who have had similar experiences and can provide you with vital information as well as emotional and moral support.
By doing this, women will be better equipped to battle sexism on both a grand and small scale.
Simply put, with determination and good company we can triumph over any opposition.
