[Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part column.]
Last week, we learned that sexism sucks, yet it is alive and well, thriving in the professional world. Outdated relics like unequal pay and the glass ceiling are evidence that women’s liberation hasn’t set anyone free yet.
We’ve all gotten the patronizing chuckles, the “little lady” comments, the limp fish handshake and the reflexive, condescending twitch of the lips. (This is always before they see our resumes.) But since you can’t walk around with your qualifications tattooed on your forehead, another response is required. We could take the feminist route and spit on any male brave — or stupid — enough to get within expectorating distance. But those assault charges could pile up and become pesky. We could take the docile route and stay locked up in our kitchens experimenting with meatloaf recipes. But that is done and over with and is now a prison of the past. Additionally, meatloaf is gross.
So what’s a girl to do?
Work hard. Be the first person in the office and the last to leave. Make sure your work is finished, your “I”s dotted, your “T”s crossed, before you flirt with the hot new tech guy. Dress to impress, choosing professionalism rather than sensuality. Spend more time preparing your notes for a big presentation than picking out your outfit.
Instead of looking up to Lady GaGa or the characters on Gossip Girl, model yourself after women like Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O’Connor and Oprah — women who made it to the top, who made a difference and whose legacies continue to do so.
Studies have shown that women are less likely to ask for raises and to maintain eye contact while speaking. This is unacceptably self-defeating, as both show a lack of confidence in self and performance. Don’t be afraid to let people know you can kick ass: Cool self-assurance is a handy tool no matter the circumstance.
The key to everything is balance. Be professional, but also be personable. There’s nothing wrong with being friendly, but don’t be the office bike. Girls who are make it harder for the rest of us.
At the end of the day, be someone who you can respect. Others will take the hint.
Sexism is a big deal, one that females and males need to work together to overcome and outdistance. It falls to our generation to erase centuries of discrimination and inequity. Are we up to the challenge? We’ll see.
People say chivalry is dead because women killed it. But that’s not what this is about. I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t open the door for me, watch your mouth when I’m around or pay on dates. I’m just saying you can’t tell me that I’m somehow a sub-standard excuse for a human being.
I’m tired of it. I’m tired of being looked down on, I’m tired of being condescended to, I’m tired of being treated as though I’m less, lacking and inferior. I’m not, and I know I’m not. Are you?
I think it’s time we showed the world.
Bethany Offutt is a sophomore criminology and criminal justice and psychology major. She can be reached at offutt at umdbk dot com.
Even flirting in the office AFTER finishing your work is not a wise career move.
And you're somehow assuming that women need to be told to finish their work, which would certainly explain those pay differentials .. if they really existed.
But mostly ... you're not even addressing the valid criticism about last week's column.
You may have dotted your i's but your opinions are not firmly grounded in reality.
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