Thursday, March 08, 2007

Blogging against sexism...

For today's Blog Against Sexism Day, I thought I'd share a little piece-in-progress from my upcoming book (pub date January 2008), which is all about women at work. Fighting sexism in the workplace has been a passion of mine since I got my first job at 15. Now I get to write about it and really make a difference.

Myth: Men make better CEOs.
Fact: Men make more CEOs, but that’s only because people believe fables like “men are more aggressive” or “men are cutthroat.” It’s irresponsible to make broad, sweeping statements like this about either gender. I’ve known women who are more competitive in the business world than any man you’ll ever meet. I’ve seen women walk into boardrooms à la Joan Crawford addressing PepsiCo (“don’t f*ck with me fellas, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo”), bring an out-of-control meeting to attention, close on a merger agreement, and book a flight to another city to meet with employees for a company they just bought—all in the space of 10 minutes.

Women are natural nurturers and problem solvers, no matter how assertive, aggressive and ambitious we are. Every company in the world is about the bottom line; without it, our economy would crash and anarchy would ensue. Companies are getting smarter and beginning to realize that gender diversity is beneficial to their bottom line. Where men fail, women can succeed—and vice versa. Gone are the days of choosing the “right man for the job.” Logically, considering that companies are placing higher value on the cost savings of employee retention and having a compassionate business model, corporate America is waking up to the fact that the right man for the job is often a woman. Regardless, we’re not asking to replace every male CEO with a female. What we do want is an accurate representation of the gender balance in corporate America on the list of CEOs in corporate America.

We don't want more. We just want the same. Every woman has the power to help close the wage gap. We don't even have to march or carry signs. Just ASK for more money, ASK for the promotion, ASK what you can do to earn it, ASK how you can move up that ladder. And if you don't get the answer you want, move on until you find a company who will pay you what you're worth. If we all stand up for ourselves, corporate America will have to find someone else to fetch the coffee and work for 75% of our male counterpart's salaries.

Get updates on my book and more at the Skirt! Books MySpace page. (as if you need another reason to FINALLY get on MySpace!)

5 comments:

  1. This post was awesome. I wish I had written it. Rock on with your bad self!

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  2. What a nice compliment! Thank you.

    Rocking on...

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  3. I completely agree with your final paragraph. I am rubbish at speaking up for myself and thinking I am worth more at work. I am almost glad I do not know how much my male colleagues are earning because I think it would completely demoralise me - I have no doubt that my company discriminates. I work in a very British 'old-boy' network industry where the school you attended means more than how well you do your job. It also means that women can manipulate the men to get results that their male are unable to obtain. The 'lipstick' broke has worked for me in the past but it doesn't make me feel good - just frustrated. Working in this environment (sexist, racist, homophobic), I can feel my soul being sucked out. I just keep telling myself 'only a little while longer'... Thanks for your post and for reminding me that I am the one in charge of me.

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  4. I agree with kelly o and kate - Very inspiring! I think I have some "asking" to do too.

    (posting from work so hope its ok I don't use my name today)

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  5. So empowering. And true! I wonder if my mom had ever truly stood up and asked/demanded, if she would have been given equal salary. Go, K Lo!

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