If there ever was a perfect theme for International Women’s Day, this year’s theme will be, “breaking the bias” because the biggest problem facing the working woman today is bias.
From corporate to entertainment, to life skills you name it, every single woman in these sectors is facing biases.
Many years ago, the problem was getting into the industry, today it’s surviving in the industry as a result of policies that do not benefit the average woman.
The corporate world
I could name a tall list of biases, but if there was ever one that was heartbreaking and worrisome, it would be women in power bringing down women. Yes, the men will harass slut shame and what have you, but if you have ever met a woman in power intimidate and spearhead policies to bring down her gender whew! You will be humbled.
I read a story of young woman whose Managing Director, a female would only employ single women who are not parents. Once the said women got married and gave birth that was the end. Wild? Yes, but very true. In a world where many are still buying into the idea of ‘woman’ and when I say many I mean men, it is painful to watch and see women who have climbed the ropes and reached the top do the same and enforce the same biases they were met with.
All of this funny enough is usually to prove to those watching that, they can be just as powerful and ruthless as their male colleagues are.
The Entertainment Industry
If “women are their own enemies” was ever an industry it will be the entertainment industry. The gossiping, back biting, slut shaming and the body shaming you would think as women, the collective goal will be to rise above everything else together, but you will find that, the bias we blame men for are committed mostly by our own women. How then do we fight the men who are bias towards us? If we are fighting to break the bias why should we be perpetuating biases against each other?
I could list a plethora of industries and their female on female biases because the list is endless.
Women empowerment does not mean climb the ladder and become like those who tried to put you down. It does not mean oppressing your fellow women through the same laws that oppressed you in the name of “we all go through it so it’s normal.” It is not normal.
Breaking the bias must start with us women. When in power we make policies that make will make life easier for the women under us so that they do not have to go through the same thing we went through.
Breaking the bias should start with more policies on maternity leave extensions especially in companies led by women. Let’s have more of that and less of “we all went through it, get used to is”; that is encouraging the bias.
Breaking the bias is spearheading policies on the creation of day care centers in the corporate world especially the ones headed by women.
As a young person, I’m excited and grateful for what those before me have done to make life easier for my generation, but should I one day also have to fight for the same things being fought for now, then we really have not broken any bias.
Today on International Women’s Day may we as women be reminded that we are our sisters’ keeper, that whatever change we want to see starts with us because who will house you when you set fire on your own house?
From today and every other day moving forward, the goal should be to break the bias generations before us permeated through and to change those biased policies for the generation after us to have an easier life.
