Your go-to-guide to being a feminist in the workplace.
You can be a women’s rights advocate even if you’re not holding up aggressive placards and signs at your local community hall.
I’ve completed about a year of work experience as an architect, and although I’ve fiercely advocated for women’s rights and feminism through various media platforms like The Tempest, I reached a point where I couldn’t do that any longer.
So I decided that there must be other ways to advocate for our kind and here’s what I think they are.
1. By being quiet, you’re doing the rest of us a disservice.
I’ve been victim to this too many times, I still find it hard to speak up at meetings or at gatherings where there are more than 10 people. Sheryl Sandberg in her book, Lean In, talks about the importance of being as vocal as possible during meetings. One way to make sure you do that is to sit at the front of a meeting table. This way, you’d never feel intimidated by the people in front of you. Position is key.
2. Stand up for a fellow colleague who might be undermined.
I’ve been this person, and there were times when I wished somebody advocated for me, but hey, you can be that person. I’ve learnt that you always need to be the person you needed when you were younger. If you see that somebody is being subdued by a superior, stand up for them. They’ll thank you later.
3. Mentor a junior.
Here’s why I think this is so important. The company I work for puts mentorship at the forefront, so this is deeply ingrained in our culture, and I’m just so grateful for that. But today, there’s been a lot of tension surrounding mentorship, and where the line lies. Male mentors are afraid to mentor young women as they fear any sort of untoward accusations. But if you’re a junior, you have nothing to lose if you want to be mentored by somebody, irrespective of their gender.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask.
It’s not easy to put yourself out there and ask for what you deserve, whether its a raise, or even if you have a doubt regarding a document or a software. There might be times when you might feel like you’re held back, but ask yourself this, “What do you have to lose?”
5. Be your own advocate.
If I’ve learnt anything from my one year at a corporate firm, it’s this: Nobody is going to stand up for you, if you dont stand up for yourself. It’s uncomfortable, but you have to tell yourself that it will become a habit if you just start. There are times when I stumble, and overthink my intentions, but you just have to take that first step.
There’s so much we do as activists, even if we can’t physically be campaigning for feminism. Be an advocate at home, at work and wherever you possibly can be. You can begin right now, and set an example.
