Hi, it’s Pam Pope again coming to you with an age old question. Why do women often end up in lower paid careers and why do we undervalue ourselves? Really, we are a minority in the US Senate, The Supreme Court, CEO’s etc? The number of CEO’s at fortune 500 companies in America is 200,480 as of May of 2022. The percentage of female CEO’s of that number is 15 percent. Our pay is lower than men’s pay. Black women are the most educated demographic around yet our pay is way substandard. Things need to change. The system is set up to have white males lead the pack. Little boys are taught to lead even when they are totally in the wrong. Little girls are taught to be nice and complacent and to not make waves. We are taught not to draw too much attention and if we do it is usually negative. An assertive woman is considered a bitch. An assertive black woman is considered “angry”. But an assertive male is just what is expected in this society.
As a young woman in my 20’s, I rarely spoke up for myself. I valued keeping the peace even when I knew I was right. Now as a post-menopausal boss babe, you couldn’t pay me to stay silent when I need to speak up. As women, we value the need to be liked and seen as soft and sweet. As females we are caught up in things that do not propel us forward in the business world. Numero uno is this little thing called Hormones. Numero dos are these little things called pregnancy and child rearing. Right there we are behind in the competitive field. Society also steers us to pay way more attention to our appearance than our mind. When you see a woman who is smart, outspoken and doesn’t really care a lot about her looks watch out, she will get things done.
We are worth a lot. We are smart, strong and the carriers of life. At the very least we should be getting representation in government, Wall Street and other places of power. We take nothing for granted. The part of us that is still operating like a shy twenty something is hereby asked to speak up. Nothing big ever came from silence. When the battle is on, you have to fight.
Now that is what I am talking about!!
What do you think?