Women in 2018

Living in 2018 should be a lot easier than was fifty years ago. Women have equal rights as men. We have the right to vote and the right to freedom of speech. The last time I checked we were no longer slaves. Right? Well, I thought so. I thought that living in 2018 would mean women empowerment and that I would not have to relive what women used to put up with. Now, let me explain.

Jokes against women were never “really funny.” They were a subtle way to put women down and make us feel like we did not belong. However, because they were “jokes” it was okay and just brushed off. I like to tell it how it is, and if something is not funny I will let people know that I do not appreciate their “jokes.” Why should I pretend that being insulted is funny? Why should anyone pretend that being insulted is funny? It is not. Does everyone just let them slide because they are afraid of speaking out? Are they afraid of being fired for sticking up for themselves? I am pretty sure the answer is yes. At least when it comes to women.

We have been “conditioned” by society to just “accept what is.” We have been taught that if we speak out, we will get ridiculed or fired. So, naturally, we have ignored these comments and jokes. Let me just say this: We hear you! Even if you think you are whispering behind our back, we hear you!

Jokes such as “make me a sandwich” or “go to back to the kitchen” are not funny anymore, especially when it is at a workplace. Nowhere in my job description is there “make lunch for upper management.” Is making a sandwich difficult? If you answered yes then you probably should not be a management position. Not to mention, these “jokes” are completely unprofessional and if you think it is funny then you also probably should not be in a professional/management position.

Not only are the “jokes” not actually funny, but they make us want to stop trying. At least it does for me. If that is how I am going to get treated than I will stop doing my job. If you “really think I should make you a sandwich” then obviously I am not a valuable employee to you. So, why should I continue to do my job if you are going to degrade me?

I do not intend to bash men and say that all men are evil because women bash each other all the time. Women like to compete. However, I believe that society has made us that way. In order to succeed in life and be treated with respect, we need to be better than our coworker. Somewhere society has taught us that “there can only be a few people in power” and we need to compete to do that. Competition is not bad, we just should not have to fight each other to get the respect we deserve.

The point is to raise awareness that women still get treated badly. This happens daily, whether it is spoken or not. No one deserves to feel disrespected and devalued. It should not happen anywhere but, to see it happen in a professional setting is heartbreaking. It is 2018 and we should have moved forward. We should have moved to a place of love and safety instead of fear and insecurity. However, it appears we have taken a step backward (or rather a leap backward) in history. With that said, I would like to think that one day we will move forward.