It's a Man's World: Diary of a Mad Young Woman

       Racism is still an issue in this country.  I know because I work in a diverse school, and I see it.  And sexism is also still an issue in this world, and sometimes, it seems to take a back seat as compared to other political issues.  There are still less women in power positions in the corporate world than men, and women still make 75 cents to every dollar that men do.  Female teachers sometimes do not get the same level of respect as their male counterparts, and female principals, especially at the secondary level, are often still in the minority.  If a woman is ten to twenty pounds overweight, some men, even the supposedly “nice” ones, won’t date her, even if she is trying to stay healthy.  But if a man is 30 pounds overweight, people don’t make a big deal about it, and he can still get attractive women. When I worked for my college’s newspaper, I was one of the only women on the staff.  The other females and I had to work twice as hard to get story ideas approved and to get our articles on the front page as men did.  During my one and a half year career on the newspaper, I had a front-page story as well as a main story in the Variety section about the Athens music scene.  Unfortunately, though, one reason that I switched majors and chose a more female dominated profession was that I thought I would have more opportunities for advancement and be treated as more of an equal.  Whether or not I made the right decision, I still sometimes wonder.  But I think people need to understand that living in a man’s world was a reality that I had to face when I made my career decision, even though I made Dean’s List and President’s List during most semesters of my college career. 

            My sister is an attorney who made one B during her college career at one of the finest state universities in the country.  She also made excellent grades at one of the top five law schools in the country and participated in one of the law school’s scholastic journals.  Yet, when she first started at her firm, she had to work very hard to prove herself capable.  I can’t help wondering if she would have had as much of an uphill battle if she were a man.  She wears three-inch heels and expensive suits to work, partly because that is the legal professions attire and partly, I’m sure, because she wants to be taken seriously as a young female attorney.  My mother, especially for a woman of her generation, has defied the odds.  She was Faculty Executive to the President at her former university and now holds an Endowed Chair position at her current university.  She has won numerous scholastic and teaching awards and has done quite well in academia.  Yet sometimes, I wonder if a woman with her credentials would be the Dean or even the President of his university.  The world might be making progress, but we are still not equals. 

            During high school, in Political Science class, each of us was allowed to choose a politically oriented book on which to read and do a report.  My mother gave me Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women to read.  I am so glad she did because even though I sometimes feel discouraged and disheartened by the sexism that I still see in this world, the message of the book stays with me.  The “undeclared war against American women” is one that we can win; we just have to fight harder. Now, I am embarrassed to say that one reason that I voted for Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton is that I thought Mr. Obama had a better chance of winning, even if Mrs. Clinton had more experience and qualifications.  As much as I respect Mr. Obama and his capabilities, I am now questioning the motivations behind the decision.  We, as women and American citizens, need to give people jobs and positions based on their qualifications and their integrity, not based on their ethnic or gender backgrounds. 

This essay is dedicated to the sixth grade females who I teach, in hopes that they will choose their future careers based on what they truly do best and not on how they fear they could be treated in their potential workplaces.  It is also dedicated to the sixth grade males who I teach, in hopes that they will not hold the females in their lives to the same double standards, both in relationships and professional situations, that I and other females are held to today.  I hope that they will not objectify women, but value them for the right reasons and respect their ability to lead.