Has nothing changed?

This is one of my first “corporate” photos, taken in the late ‘80s. I came across it this week and it reminded me of what cr*p I used to have to deal with in the workplace: male clients invading my personal space, getting talked over, women clients being referred to as “ballsy” or aggressive by colleagues, patronising comments, being called “sweetheart” or “darling” and, my all-time favourite, being told, “Jackie, our lady managers don’t wear trousers”! Really!

I was reminded of how tiring (and tedious) it was dealing with all of this, calling it out where I dared (it really wasn’t easy) or putting up with it, where I persuaded myself this was the best course of action. Climbing the greasy pole, I wanted to be seen as approachable, friendly and capable so stepping aside when a client went to put his hand around my waist or telling my boss that “I’m afraid this woman manager does wear trousers”, without getting a derogatory label – or looked over for promotion – was a minefield.

In my coaching business, I have women clients, senior marketing professionals, some of the best, who are still having to handle this sort of behaviour…when they just want to get the job done. Instead, their energy is taken up with an added layer of politics, a layer that their male counterparts can – and all too often do – simply ignore.

Why one half of the population is seen by some as lesser, why we’re still deriding rather than celebrating difference, I fail to understand. I refute any arguments other than physiological, it’s simply time we were all accepted as truly equal. The half of the population that has the upper hand, whether or not they wield it as a weapon, has the solution and just needs to activate it.

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