Women on the Job

Women have come a long way when it comes to working outside of the home. Not that long ago, I read the autobiography of Paula Dean, a nationally renowned cook( you can see her on the FoodNetwork program). In her book, she briefly described life at home when she was growing up as well as what it was like to be married and stuck in the house the entire time. She eventually developed a fear of going outside called agoraphobia, but later worked to overcome it. One day, she decided that enough was enough and she started this small sandwich business in which she would make sandwiches and other goodies and put it in a lunch bag for her sons to deliver. Years later, her food was so good that it earned her her own time slot on the Food Network channel on television.

While Paula Dean's story may not be the same story that you share about yourself, it is still inspirational. To think back to how women used to never be given the time of day and to now see many women in leadership positions as CFOs and CEOs where the money that they've earned, they've done honestly- is mind blowing. However, just because women are working along side of men, this doesn't mean that they're always treated equally. In fact, many women are still being mistreated in one way or the other at the workplace. Stories of male supervisors engaging in harassing behavior with women as well as women not moving up the corporate ladder as fast has its share of disappointments and disadvantages.

I still wait for the day when the United State of America will have a female president. As women, we want to be able to tell our daughters that they have the exact same opportunities in the workplace as the men do. If you suspect that someone in your office is being harassed, don't hesitate to say something to your supervisor about it. Sexual harassment in a public place is a serious crime. This brings up yet another issue- the issue of women being hired over men. In a lot of instances still, a woman will lose a job to a man (depending on the type of job of course). For example, if a firm is looking to hire a candidate to come work for them, they'll probably choose the male over the female. Why is this? Unfortunately, people in hiring positions often look at females as inferior because of biological reasons. Females can get pregnant while males can not. If a female is hired, who's to say that she won't get pregnant? It's a gamble for many employers because they want someone who is going to be there all the time.

Females are fighting back hard though. Nowadays, females are not only continuing to have babies, but they are not letting it stop them from advancing their careers. Just because you are a woman doesn't mean that you should have to be condemned. Rather, women are looking for innovative ways to find that balance between working full time as well as raising a child full time without neglecting one over the other.