THIS is likely to be one of the few International Women’s Day-flavoured pieces that puts the focus squarely on those in possession of a Y chromosome.
That’s right, guys, I am looking at you, so pay attention.
If the fairer sex is to move a step closer to the 2016 theme of gender parity, especially in the workplace, it is incumbent on us to take a long, hard look in the mirror at how we genuinely assess the professional successes of the women we spend 40 hours a week or more with.
Put down your paper or smartphone and consider a woman in your organisation who has ascended the corporate ladder at a rapid rate, flourished in a traditionally male-dominated industry, or achieved professional recognition on a broader scale.
Did you involuntarily assume her achievements were based on her capability and work ethic, or did you question which of her feminine wiles she called upon to cement her success?
Unfortunately, if we are honest, too many of us – including myself in one specific instance more than a decade ago – have considered the latter as the sole reason why some women are going above and beyond to boot some astronomical goals in the workplace.
A report released by The Economist to mark International Women’s Day places Australia 18th out of 29 developed countries when it comes to the best and worst places to be a woman in the workplace.
Until the status quo is an automatic acknowledgement that a woman in a situation we take a professionally envious view of has not flirted or slept her way to success, that ranking is unlikely to improve.
There are countless women who have experienced exceptional workplace success because of their aptitude, tenacity and passion for what they do.
Yet, they are forced every day to justify their existence, either face to face with jealous colleagues who feel emasculated by their competency, or in response to snickered aspersions and innuendo fired into their backs from the water cooler.
It is time for us to man up and call out those who refuse to implement change.
A #PledgeForParity cannot begin to become a reality until we acquiesce that the professional victories of our female counterparts deserve to be judged on the same set of criteria as our own.
