Systematic Problem, Systematic Change

Kristen Ablamsky
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

It’s day two of my period. In comics, I’m drowning in a pool of nature’s making.

In online videos, I’m hoovering reese’s peanut butter cups, pringles in dirty sweatpants.

While I love the self-deprecating, honest humor that has become so pervasive in pop culture — what we tend to forget is that these jokes about “realistic” female existence are layered on top of a culture that teaches us that women are unable to achieve what others can, just because of our physical make up.

While men are told they should achieve, in fact meant to achieve, women live within a system that doesn’t support how we can, amidst the reality of our physical beings (and most of the populations).

Cramps? Not a valid reason for sick leave, so take a pill.

Baby? Plan on job hunting because you’ll be forgotten within the 2–4 weeks you’re lucky to get anyway.

Our achievements are stifled by a society made for and by men, and by the culture that forgets that the most impactful difference between men and women isn’t strength, it’s available opportunity.

It’s only within the past few years that feminine hygiene brands like Playtex have reflected the kind of activity we truly wish to accomplish. While products like Thinx have emerged encouraging a new message — you are not limited just by being a woman.

systemic problems require systematic change.

New industries, products, process, and practices for and by women will flood sectors — creating diversity and reawakening businesses that have been turning too slowly for too long.

Big complicated goals like integrating business, process, and practice friendly to women must be broken down and accomplished one block at a time.

It’s day two of my period. I’m not drowning in a pool of nature’s making. I’m not in dirty sweat pants hoovering junk food. I’m on my bike, riding 9W for the first time. I will count exactly 8 other women on the road. I will stretch, hydrate, keep my energy levels up, and stop often because that’s what my body needs. I will struggle up hills — steeper and longer then ever before — confident I’ll get better, and more comfortable the more I fight to achieve what we’ve been told we shouldn’t. I will continue to ask myself and my friends, how can we get more women on the roads? Is it something I can do, is it something businesses can do?

Enough pioneers have come forward, inspiring us to spark change. Today isn’t the moment to integrate systems that support us into the businesses, products, and culture that shape our lives — it’s just another opportunity to. A ‘watershed moment’ is only just that if we talk about HOW we can systematically make that change. So —

Think about the real problems.

Talk about them.

Brainstorm new solutions.

Fucking go for it.

And don’t stop failing until something works.

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