Is gender STILL a workplace issue?
Is there a difference between male and female public relations professionals? I can’t really believe that in the year 2006 we are still considering gender as a professional issue, but the question has come up three times since Friday.
First of all, Friday morning I was having a chat with an associate (male age 60+) about how much the CIPR has grown over the past five years. His comment was that the big female influx was the major driving force in the Institute’s growth. To me that raised the question, where were all the women before 2001? We most certainly were toiling away both in-house and on agency side. Why weren’t we adequately represented in the Institute of Public Relations? What’s happened since then to change this?
Then, later that same day, down the pub, I got talking to a local doctor (male age 40+) who said, “I’ll bet all men in PR are born liars.” I didn’t know how to react. Why would he assume male PRs are liars and females are not? Is the PR profession not deemed as worthy for a man of integrity, but all right for women? It was one of those comments that makes you go hmmmmmmmmmm!
Then yesterday, I came across Susan Getgood’s blogsite. She and I worked together in a previous life, and so I was interested to see what she is doing these days. I was a bit shocked to read the Women PR bloggers don’t like stereotypes entry on her blog. Why, in this day and age, does this recognised industry leader, who has successful track record as long as my arm, feel she has to defend women as professionals?
I guess my point is this. The human population is made up of men and women. Our profession is made up of men and women. This is 2006 not 1956. I would have hoped that we’d progress through the biases of the past to the understanding that in the workplace, gender is not an issue. Are my expectations too high? Please set me straight.
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From the “old and gnarled” one life is simply too short to even contemplate issues like this. For those who harbour a bias, science can clearly demonstrate that these people have a low cerebral count. In such circumstances little is going to change them so why bother trying! Those who feel the need to defend their own should not rise to the bait. Oh oh, that means a potential downturn in socio-political editorial so I must go and sell my shares in Associated Newspapers, publishers of that august journal, The Daily Mail!
I think in some places it might be a passing issue. What I mean by passing is that people talk about it and then let it pass, do nothing nada about it.
It’s not a dreadful situation as it was say in 1956 perhaps. But I think sometimes people just want excuses and using the men woman thing is there and easy to use to people’s advantages.
I certainly wish it weren’t that way.
Lloyd & Katina…I do hope you are both right. I believe this is just something that people like to flap their gums about instead of a real issue. Wouldn’t it be great if people flapped about important stuff instead..?
Ahh such a long long story it is
Thanks for the mention, and for stopping by the Roadmap. I’ll be in touch.
Just catching up on Strive notes postings. Re: Getgood—-In the spirit of full disclosure, I pitched stories she was closely associated with while previously employed at two different firms that wooed her business. So the following post may seem a bit like I’m defending the notions of a client of two former employers.
I’m not. There’s no financial gain to be had by me by contributing to this blog.
I think that bringing up the topic of sexism is perhaps one of the hardest topics to talk about in a public forum. The likely responses you get are:
1)What’s wrong with you-the person complaining?
2)Do you always think people are ganging up on you?
3)You must be imagining things.
4)Nobody is that stupid to pull that crap on anybody these days!
It’s perhaps easier to take the middle of the road approach that times have changed and that women overreact when they expose flare ups of the old boys network. And, its a lot easier to tell the gal to “carry on,” “onward and upward.”
But, like the flareups of some physical ailments, the sexism flareup is hard to sit on and stifle because it’s simply too painful.
Do women in positions of power have the ability to cause painful flareups of sexism, and/or arrogant boss syndrome? You bet. Does it hurt any less? What do you think.
When a lady like Getgood, with many years of successfully speaking for and marketing a product starts complaining about sexism standing in her way on the job, there’s bound to be more to the story.
As for the rest of you–it’s just easier to say, “I’m beyond that stage in my career.” Or,
“Men are beyond that along the evolutionary path of humanity.”
Humans are creatures that do what it takes to forge alliances for survival. When all other commonalities fail get you bonded with the folks you need to make money–pick your gender!
Rita
Susan and Rita thanks for weighing in on this one. Hopefully our children, or at least their children, will never see sexism in the workplace as a real issue. Dream on…
[...] Thirdly, please explain to me why, even in the 21st Century, gender is still an issue in ours, or any profession. [...]