This past Tuesday, Hillary Clinton made history by being the first woman to ever be nominated by a major party for President of the United States. And Michelle Obama gave her credit by saying, [Hillary Clinton] “has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling until she finally breaks through.” And no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, this accomplishment is something to be celebrated. But let’s not settle for this, because there’s still a long way to go in breaking that glass ceiling.
Let me lead out with an example. We elected our first black President back in ‘08 and celebrated our nation’s diversity and progress. Yet, in the past two years, we’ve heard almost non-stop reports of racially charged shootings and riots. Just because we made progress for the Highest Seat in the country doesn’t mean that things are solved in the everyday happenings. In fact, it seems to be worse than ever. Those who refuse to accept progress and equality are speaking out, and in a mean and disgusting way. And that’s the same worry that I have for women.
On the outside, we can celebrate this progress as a woman has finally been given the chance to lead a nation. Yet, what will happen on the ground? We still have unequal pay, where women are making 79 cents to every dollar a man makes, of equal qualification. And there are still different expectations for how women should act when put in a leadership position.
Though this is a humorous article, it shows some of the very real situations that women are faced with when put in a leadership position. I suggest giving it a read. I laughed, as the 9 Non-Threatening Leadership Strategies for women were broken down in the hopes that women leaders would appear less threatening to their male counterparts. However, as I laugh, I know that I have dealt with many of these situations myself and I know other women who have had several similar experiences.
The thing is, I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. I put in way more work than many of the people around me, but because I’m a woman, I purposefully hedge and downplay my successes, because I don’t want to appear “too ambitious” or “threatening.” Yet, I sometimes sit around and listen to the list of the wonderful things that my male counterparts have accomplished, simply because I need to build up their egos. I frequently use phrases of doubt when sharing an idea, because I don’t want to sound too confident. And I sure as heck have given an awkward laugh when a sexist comment is said, simply because there’s nothing I can say to defend myself. I’m not trying to undercut anyone’s successes here, but I just know how it feels to work hard and be unappreciated, simply for being a woman.
We may have made history this week, women, but there’s a long way to go before ceilings lay in shatters all around us.
