10/24/2017

Sexism in the Workplace

It's Tuesday and my work will be short because I'm starting my birthday celebrations early so today is my Friday and it's already been a long 2 days.I cannot wait to unwind with some sand and sun but I must admit it's been unusually warm here in the north-east region. Normally it's definitely sweater weather around these parts but it's been full fledged short and flip-flop days. The mornings are the only exceptions because it's quite cold on some early mornings but it's also been drastic fluctuations of at least 20-25 degree differences between 6am to 12pm which is insane but hey... I'll take it. 
Another day, another unsettling sexual harassment accusation against the men in Hollywood. This time it's against a director named James Toback and his count just hit 38 women. The Harvey Weinstein story opened the flood gates and the stories we've since discovered due to this case are horrific and deeply worrisome. Most cases of sexual misconduct in the workplace are less overt than these which in some cases have been reported as rape! It's insane that these men felt such entitlement due to their positions but it definitely spans further than just Hollywood. There are a lot of women who have experienced some form of sexual misconduct from men in the workplace. There are tons of men in corporate America who act inappropriately and women deal with it and remain quiet due to the perceived threat of losing their jobs due to them speaking up. Who wants to be scrutinized, judged and questioned with the possibility of being labeled a problem or a trouble maker by colleagues or human resources? I know I've never reported any misconduct and I've definitely dealt with my share of inappropriate bosses and it didn't occur just once. Nor was it at one job or industry.  It's really a shame but I believe abuse of power is rampant and a widely accepted practice within many corporations. That's not to say that it's right but definitely woven into the corporate DNA.  My sister-in-law has a co-worker who has worked within a major corporation for years and she has held on to her very first employee handbook. In it the company advised women on workplace etiquette by describing how to be a better work wife to their male boss.
It wasn't unusual back then to incorporate such sexist ideals within the employee handbook. This illustration below is from a 1940's for Disney and it's filled with sexist undertones. Disney has always been a family oriented corporation so if we clearly see it laid out in a Disney employee handbook imagine those who were really dominated by men. We need more women in positions of power throughout corporate hierarchies and only then will the narrative change for women. 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment