The Future is Female: Building A World Where We Thrive!
“Woman don suffer,
Lowo everybody
Suffer suffer for world-amen
Enjoy for heaven
Man e no like woman
Woman no like woman….”
These are the opening lines from Simi’s latest song ‘woman’. I love afrobeat, but this song hits on another level. Every line of this song resonates with me, first as a female, secondly as a working woman. This article was inspired by a piece I read from Ms Career Girls blog titled: The Pink Pandemic: Don’t COVID coat the problem, Lift women up.
Growing up, my ears were inundated with stories of how girls hate on girls, and female bosses make the lives of their female subordinates unbearable. I have also heard of how many women find it easier to work with their male counterparts as opposed to colleagues and bosses of the same gender. While this may be true for some people, experience has shown me that it swings both ways.
I have had fantastic male and female bosses, just as I have had tyrannical bosses of both genders. The point is, I can’t validate or invalidate the experiences of people, because not only do we have different experiences, we also see and interpret them differently- hence the varied opinions.
In a recent study by McKinsey on Women in the workplace, “Women leaders are meeting this moment and taking on the work that comes with it. They are doing more than men in similar positions in supporting the people on their teams — for example, by helping team members navigate work-life challenges, ensuring that their workloads are manageable, and checking in on their overall well-being.
The Pink Pandemic article got me thinking about the roles and responsibilities of women and how they navigate the workplace. Now, because I live and work in my home country ( Nigeria), I am rarely discriminated against based on my skin colour. Nonetheless, I am acutely aware of the pains women like me in other parts of the world have to go through from; blatant racism based on their colours or where they are from to microaggression and disrespect we face on the job. I am also aware that this is not just a ‘woman in the diaspora’ problem or another feminist flag we are flying. This is a human problem that affects everyone regardless of gender, skin tone, or origins.
Still not convinced that this is a pandemic in disguise? Take a look at the following statistics according to Leanin.org
• For 64% of women, microaggressions are a workplace reality
• Women have to provide more evidence of their competence than men and are also 2x as likely to have been mistaken for someone in a more junior position
• Almost two-third of women face everyday sexism and racism, also known as microaggression, at work
• 36% of women have experienced having their judgement questioned in their area of expertise, compared to 27% of men
• 31% of women feel the need to provide proof of their competence compared to 16% of their male counterparts.
Personally, I get excited when women win. The most recent being that of Kemi Onabanjo, and the women who contested for and won the recent Covenant University alumni election (yes I’m an eagle. lol)
You might argue that it’s because I am one, and I would say you are right. Why? Because being a woman allows me to better empathise with other women. I mean, we are literally walking in the same shoes- even though our paths differ.
We have often heard that nation-building is a collective responsibility. Well, it’s not just nation-building. As long as we keep paying lip service to matters that can affect and influence our world, we will constantly be at its mercy.
Our journeys as women are challenging enough. We are constantly navigating hormones, body size and shape standards, the homefront, the workplace, and the meaningful relationships that define us. The least we can do is make it easier on ourselves. It’s like self-acceptance… Nobody will accept or love us if we can’t do the same for ourselves as women.
And most sincerely, no one would understand us like ourselves.
It is easier for me to extend grace to a fellow woman who is going through a painful period than a man because I can relate. It is disheartening to see women not extending certain levels of empathy, support and understanding to other women in the workplace. Too many times we are hypercritical of the other and we make it difficult for other women.
I once heard a woman say because she didn’t have it easy, other women must go through a similar ordeal and all I could think of was why? We are beneficiaries of certain people’s ordeals, and I am a firm believer in the idea that every generation should be an improvement on the next. I am a beneficiary of beautiful relationships with women in the workplace and,
To drive change and create a more conducive environment for women, we need to be our own allies, cheerleaders and support system. This is not an excuse to tolerate bad behaviours or attitudes that don’t support the outcomes you are working towarsd. I believe those attitudes should be called out, addressed, and nipped on the board.
Allies or Allyship: This is a conscious decision to be in a woman’s corner, advocate on behalf of those who are deserving, encourage them, push them, and support platforms that grow them.
Cheerleading: This is the intentional act of celebrating and rewarding women who do well. There’s a difference between acknowledging that someone has done well and celebrating the results of their work.
Support Systems: Let’s commit to creating social infrastructures, groups and networks that enable other women to rise and thrive. The multiplier effect of fostering a system of inclusiveness for women, especially in the workplace is immensely beneficial across the board.
A recent Gallup study found that:
- Gender-diverse business units have higher average revenue than less diverse business units
- Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women on boards financially outperform companies with the lowest representation of women on boards. (Centre for Creative Leadership)
Beyond the financial gains, Having more women in the workplace actually makes an organization a better place to work, for people of all genders.
Research has proven that having more women in the workplace provides
• More job satisfaction;
• More organizational dedication;
• More meaningful work; and
• Less burnout.
As women, the privileges we enjoy today are a result of the intentionality of the women who have gone ahead of us. We owe our right to vote, to be educated, to control how and when to bear kids, to drive, to own assets, and take on positions of leadership to their lack of apathy.
The question I am asking us today is, What would the next generation of girls owe to us?
While I’m working my way towards answering the question above, I hope that the girls, growing up after us will have their ears inundated with stories of how women lift each other, protect, support cheer and enable each other. It’s like a wise man said, “The Future Is Female”
And I believe it!
