Mistakes to Avoid While Celebrating Women’s History Month or Discussing “Women’s Issues”
Women’s accomplishments, history, and continuing struggles should be honored and highlighted every day. And we won’t complain about having a month specifically dedicated to bringing these issues to the forefront.
Here are top 3 common mistakes to avoid this month (but really, all year round, please):
Mistake #1: Not knowing the full history of women’s rights movement
1920 marks the year the 19th Amendment passed, granting women the right to vote. But… did you know that Native American, Black, and Asian women couldn’t exercise their right to vote until much later? Here’s a quick summary of the history of voting rights you can check out to ensure you know your stuff.
Mistake #2: Not considering intersectionality when discussing women’s issues
It’s critical to recognize that even within the women’s community, our experiences vary based on our other identities, such as race and ethnicity, ability/disability, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, class, and more. Deepen your understanding around intersectionality to build more nuanced strategies that meet the need of further marginalized women.
Learn how to apply intersectionality by watching this amazing 4-minute video or reading this post!
Even within the women’s community, all of our experiences are different.
Mistake #3: Excluding trans women
Trans women are women. Not sure how else to say this. Also, remember that womanhood is not defined by one’s body parts — ensure you are using inclusive language and creating spaces where womanhood is celebrated vs. cis-genderhood (yes, it’s time to retire your “pussy hats”).
Learn about the amazing work of trans women like Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and Miss Major!
“Womanhood is not defined by one’s body parts”
Bonus Tip: Glass Ceiling vs. Sticky Floor
We talk a lot about breaking the “Glass Ceiling” but have you heard about the “Sticky Floor?” The term “Sticky Floor” is used to describe the difficult-to-break pattern that keeps a certain group of people at the bottom of the job scale, such as service job workers and clerical support staff. The term “glass ceiling” is used to describe the invisible barrier which blocks the advancement of women or people of color beyond a certain point. Both the Glass Ceiling and Sticky Floor hinder equity in the workplace and society! #WeNeedaNewHouse
This Women’s History Month, don’t just celebrate women’s history. Help reshape and make history through your action.
- Hire underrepresented women — trans women, disabled women, Black women, Native women, Latinx women, Muslim women
- Fund women of color entrepreneurs — did you know Latinx women receive only 0.4% of total venture capital funding?
- Promote women — call out biased feedback and performance evaluations that hold women back and demand a more transparent and equitable promotion process!
Share your tips and thoughts in comments!
Want more tips on how to have nuanced and critical conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion?
- Subscribe to Awaken’s Newsletter!
- Host an Intersectional Allyship Workshop at your organization: Contact us via our website: www.visionawaken.com
- Follow us on Medium for more educational posts!
About Awaken
We exist to create compassionate space for uncomfortable conversations to develop inclusive leaders and teams. We’re tired of surface level conversations around diversity and inclusion — let’s go deeper. It’s time for real conversations with real people. Check us out at www.visionawaken.com!
