Celebrating A Century of Women’s Rights & The Fight For Progress
Wednesday, August 26, marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Heroines like suffragist leader Alice Paul, activist Mary Church Terrell, and journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett crusaded for women's rights and gathered with more than 5,000 women in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 1913, to call on Congress for change.
While our work isn't done yet, we'd like to take this moment to recognize the efforts of those who've championed women's rights and each of you who continue that fight today just by being yourself.
We asked our team to share their thoughts on gender equality and here’s what they had to say!
What would gender equality look like for you?
Equal pay for equal work and pay transparency.
Equal representation in leadership in communities, business, politics and the arts.
Equal opportunities for promotion (esp. into leadership roles).
Increased and more well-rounded media representation of women/non-binary people/trans women.
Better healthcare.
Federally funded childcare.
Reversal of harmful stereotypes and biases.
Elimination of the pink tax.
Addressing the epidemic that is male violence against women.
Equal demands on our time at home and at work.
Fewer socio-economic reasons to REQUIRE help and support.
What are some stereotypes you've had to overcome in your unique experience as someone who identifies as a woman?
That I'm naive, materialistic, overly emotional, indecisive, and "no fun" when I'm trying to get down to work.
I have to work harder to get people to take me seriously. I also have to carefully balance being assertive while trying not to alienate people who are turned off by assertiveness in women.
Being assertive without coming off "the wrong way".
Expectations of having a big, fluffy, stereotypical wedding (or to be married at all, for that matter).
What it means to be a "girlfriend" or "wife" in a hetero-normative-monogamous relationship.
Having/raising children (of my own).
That being nice or shy is a sign of weakness.
Being "best friends" with my mother.
Being "best friends" with other women.
Assumptions about the way I (should) express myself.
That my choice not to have children is an implicit judgment on those who do. When people ask me why I don’t have children, there are different assumptions made about my answer than my spouse’s (in combination with the fact that the question is usually only directed at me). This comes from men and women alike, but the harshest of judgments are most often from women. Our biggest failure to each other as women is the quickness we have to judge another’s life decisions.
Early in my career, I struggled for people to take me seriously. Now in my career, I struggle with "mom" stereotypes.
This is less about stereotypes and more about feeling like we have to accept unacceptable behavior in the workplace simply because we’re women. When I was 17, I was a grocery bagger at a local supermarket. The owner, a man in his 60s at the time, would smack my butt and make sexual remarks about my appearance (in front of my coworkers). I should have quit on the spot and reported the behavior the first time it happened, but given his reputation in town and fear of blowback from my peers, I decided it was safest to stay quiet, and instead march into his office and demand he either give me a raise or I would file a police report. He actually honored the raise. To this day, I still look back on this moment and wonder what gave me the strength to make such a "bold" move at such a young age, a move none of the male grocery baggers ever had to face at 17. No matter what you do or who you face, use injustice as fuel to make bold moves and powerful statements.
That I must earn less than my (male) spouse, that I must not be ambitious because I chose to have children, that I must need a parent or partner to help me with financial and major life decisions.
I have a weird sense of humor so I have a lot of fun with people who ask me where my kids are when I'm away from home for work, by feigning a look of horror and pretending I have just realized I've left them all alone. I also started making a point of asking male peers about whether their partner is ok looking after their kids without them.
What challenges remain for women today? How do we reach a point of equality?
As more people become privy to the ways women have been conditioned to take up less space, they try to address it in ways that put the onus on the woman to change her behavior. This puts me in a position where I, once again, feel as though I'm being policed and scrutinized in order to "earn my place" in a work culture that was shaped by the patriarchy. Really, the onus should be on others to start taking women seriously despite language, appearance, and behavioral differences that were drilled into us from childhood.
I'm becoming newly aware of my need to educate myself and become more responsible for my own financial future. It's hard to know how to better advocate for ourselves when it's hard/impossible to get a foothold early in life, even with a college degree.
How can we be the ones to fix these issues with limited/scattered resources?
Trying to "have it all" is exhausting. We can have careers and raise families, but there are still only 24 hours in a day. Sacrifices have to be made somewhere. Too many women are putting themselves and their self care at the end of the to-do list, where things never get checked off. This is doable short-term, but it can't last.
It's a chicken-and-egg problem. Because women aren't given as many opportunities to be in leadership positions, they are less likely to be seen as leaders, and because they aren't seen as leaders, society assumes they aren't as good as men at leading. Because women are seen as "weak" and "emotional", they are less likely to be given leadership positions, and because they aren't given leadership positions, society assumes this weakness to be true.
The hardest thing is that it's still pushed on women as a problem to solve, that we need to "lean in", when men need to step up on this issue too. It benefits everyone to have more women leaders and to treat women with respect whatever their role or background.
14% of women are considering quitting their jobs because of the family demands the coronavirus crisis has created. What advice would you have for women in this position?
In this, and in all things, SPEAK UP!
Embrace the virtual wave to secure the flexibility you need.
Speak up and ask firmly for what you need from your employers. ALL companies are having to consider changing needs this year and your needs are as valid AS EVER.
My advice is to tap even more into your "village" to explore "co-parenting" options with nearby family and trusted neighbors that can agree to a similar "COVID code" to keep everyone safe and offer shared support in taking turns for job/school/babysitting duty.
It is an impossible choice. Recognize that and allow yourself to be angry and sad about making that choice, whichever way you decide to go. Try not to internalize this on yourself, it is awful external factors forcing this choice.
What advice would you give someone struggling to be heard?
Don't take the blame for your oppression. People aren't ignoring you because of how you express yourself, they are doing it because of sexism.
Look for allies and avenues to get the support you need, and don't always accept the first answer given.
Sometimes trial and error is involved in getting your message out and making sure it gets heard and handled effectively.
Know that your voice is valid–keep trying!
We can't truly appreciate success without understanding what it means to struggle, yet we can't allow the struggle to validate negative feelings and insecurities. You're the only author of your story, and it's up to you to redefine what struggle means. Be your own advocate and advocate for those around you. Surround yourself with people—especially at work—who don't view your successes as their failures, but truly want to see you succeed.
Find someone who will help amplify your voice, whether that's a colleague who'll have your back and make sure your viewpoint is included, or a mentor who will be there to give you advice and a leg up.
You cannot control the actions of others, but you can control your own. Advocate for yourself. Believe in yourself. Set yourself up for success. If you're still not getting respect or being heard, then it may be time to go somewhere else.
What are some ways in which you feel empowered?
I feel empowered when I recognize the aspects of myself that I've been taught to view as negative for what they are: strengths.
Being emotional at work is powerful (even when tears are involved).
Being open to other opinions and willing to change your mind is powerful.
Tapping into your empathy and using it to produce better work and be a better leader is powerful.
Honoring my inner voice and trusting myself first is empowering.
Doing what I love without questioning what I “should” be doing instead.
Knowing that I’m all I need.
I'm empowered by how secure I feel in my own insecurities. All my life, I was afraid of being vulnerable in fear of being seen as weak, but after my mother passed away I realized how truly empowering vulnerability can be for both me and those around me. It's usually in our most vulnerable moments that we find our greatest strengths, and can build our greatest connections with those around us.
Here are some ways in which you can support women in your workplace:
Give women equal pay.
Let women speak.
Give women credit.
Don’t tolerate sexism.
Support women's professional development.
Offer equal parental leave and flexibility.
And a few ways in which you can support women in your community and around the world:
Support women-owned businesses.
Join a network of empowered professionals like Girlboss, LeanIn, Future For Us, Black Career Women’s Network, Lesbians Who Tech, We All Grow Latina, Study Hall, and more.
Advocate for women in your community through groups like Million Women Mentors, SCORE, Ladies Get Paid, Vision 2020’s Women 100, and more.
Donate to a charity like UN Women, Global Fund For Women, Girls Inc., Women for Women International, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Malala Fund, and more.
Speak up for injustice at Time’s Up, Black Lives Matter, Women’s Voices Raised, Women’s Voices Now, Care, and more.
Share your appreciation for the women in your life.
