In 2024, women continue to face challenges when it comes to having their voices heard in male-dominated fields. The ones who are assertive and direct, are often considered bossy, while men who exhibit the same behavior are deemed strong leaders. Specifically in the workplace, it is prevalent for outspoken women to be put down by men when they speak their minds. According to the Pew Research Center, women in majority- male workplaces report higher rates of gender discrimination, including sexual harassment or abuse. Unfortunately, due to gender stereotypes, some men in the workplace still feel intimidated by strong, outspoken women. This intimidation often leads to belittling behavior when confident women challenge their authority. Research shows that women in leadership are usually judged more harshly than men, with assertiveness seen as aggression rather than confidence (Grenny & Maxfield, 2015). That being the case, being an outspoken woman in a male-dominated field means walking a fine line between being heard and disparaged.
When women speak their minds, they risk being labeled as emotional or dramatic and too much to deal with. For example, during her presidential campaign, Hilary Clinton was criticized for being too “loud” and “unlikeable” as she spoke passionately on issues. At the same time, Hilary’s male opponents were praised for their same tones of passion and assertiveness. This discrepancy points to a possible double standard related to communication expectations between men and women. These double standards are not just unique to the business world or politics. We see this even in the music industry. Taylor Swift, an outspoken woman in the music industry, has been judged for speaking out about her rights and taking control of her music. People have illustrated her as “complaining,” while male artists are applauded for their assertiveness in business decisions. Apart from publicly known occurrences, most women and girls can probably say they have experienced this at least once in their lifetimes. These double standards and archaic views of women create a scenario where outspoken women are often seen as difficult when they are direct and speak their minds. The seeds of this are planted early, with boys judging girls and even treating them poorly for having strong opinions as early as grade school.
It can be hard to believe these things are still happening in 2024. However, unless you have experienced, witnessed, or supported someone through it, it’s easy to be unaware. Looking back on history, we can see that women have worked tirelessly to get where they are today. It’s not relatively long ago that women secured the right to vote, with the 19th amendment passed in 1919. However, men still hold many advantages just by being born male. Some men may not be aware of this privilege because they haven’t had to be. They automatically benefit from being more likely to have their voices heard and taken seriously just due to their gender at birth.
If you talk to most women, chances are they have a story from grade school about being put down, mocked, or laughed at by a boy. Similarly, many women have likely experienced times when they were diminished or criticized simply for speaking up in the workplace and other settings. These experiences reflect a pattern of societal responses to female assertiveness, both in childhood and adulthood.
Speaking up can be a vulnerable and intimidating experience for women, especially as the only one in the room. As a high school student, I haven't even entered the workforce, but I have personally experienced the feeling of being surrounded by people who don’t want to hear your opinion, being laughed at, and being put down by boys and men who think your opinion is not as valid as there's. In projects or activities in school that weren’t female-dominated, I've had experiences where my ideas and input were ignored, or I was judged if I wasn’t doing it the way they assumed to be correct. I’ve experienced situations in school, when boys could say whatever they wanted, and would be applauded by their friends, even if it was an inappropriate or rude remark. There were instances when I was laughed at or told to “calm down” if I responded and stood up for myself. While we have moved a long way in feminism and women's rights, we still have a long way to go. This is why having inclusive workplaces and rules that ensure women won’t experience workplace harassment is so important. Because so many women's thoughts and assertions, myself included, are still undervalued in society.
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