International Women's Day came and went this week. Google changed their logo for the day, the papers threw out some stats, and charities used it as a hook to get a bit more cash. And I'm sure somewhere out there, some man said in a grumpy tone, "Why don't we have a men's day?"
These days we're made to think that sexism is a bit like polio. You hear the stories about how it used to be terrible but the world has fortunately virtually eradicated it except for in some far-away third world countries. Not the case people.
Things have changed a lot for women across the world, over the past century, decade, and even year. Saudi women may well be able to vote in 2015, although they still can't drive. Or leave the country without a guardian.
And for the rest of us? Well, as women we're frantically becoming doctors, lawyers, journalists, engineers, and fighter pilots. But even now, we're not all playing by the same rules. I can certainly see this every day in the corporate world.
In the early years of our careers, I see us, ambitious, motivated, willing to get stuck in and work our way from the bottom up. You need someone to answer the phones? Collect the post? Sure, that's called a foot in the door! Unfortunately, a lot of the time it's not. It's corporate suicide.
The women that pictured high-flying corporate success in their youth, who were flying that female flag, go quiet. I see women packing away those flags in their sock drawers, next to their post-graduate education, determination and aspirations.
I really truly hope that all those women who I see in my life opting out of the commercial world, are doing it wholly and purely out of a desire to do something else. Maybe you really do want to start that cupcake delivery service/ make badges/ become a wedding planner. But something deep inside of me, suspects a lot of them are getting put off; driven away by a constant frustration that slowly seeps into your your subconscious.
A few years ago when I expressed a desire to go into general business management in the future, I was promptly told that 'perhaps I should just carry on with HR'.
Now, there's a lot of things in this world that I'm not good at: long division, interior decorating, accents, cutting the nails on my right hand... And I'll freely admit these things. But I have to say, although I was at the end of the queue when spatial awareness was given out, I was definitely at least in the first fifty percent of people when it came to business acumen. But despite expressing an obvious desire (oh and having a post-graduate qualification in business administration) I was very quickly told to get back in my HR corner.
My mother didn't spend hours marching the streets, writing letters, campaigning, and generally jumping up and down, for women to still be facing the big, ugly, elephant that is sexism.The question is, how much should we stay and fight? Is it best to stick it out, face mashed up against the glass ceiling, waving to all the men who started after you, and must have found the key to the room in the Men's toilets. Or do we pack up the collection of heels from under the desk, grab the pot plant, wave over our shoulder, and walk into a world where we can make a few more of our own rules?
As long as the corporate world is a predominantly masculine one, I fear we'll continue to hear: "you're too soft/ emotional/ obsessed with the detail/ part time" and "you're not strategic/ salesy/ old/ in the office (because you're picking up the kids) enough".
I hate giving up. On anything. But after years of hitting your head against a brick wall (or glass ceiling) surely you must have to think the only person you're hurting is yourself?
