This could be such a long post and there's an awful lot of thoughts going round in my head!
It's interesting to me that there is such a stereotyping of roles for genders. Most of it is just taken as 'that's just how it is'....but it doesn't have to be like that.
My two young daughters were watching a children's programme on television where a man and a lady dress up and pretend to do different jobs....this particular show had the lady dressing up as a builder...and my 4 year old made a groan of displeasure and muttered something about it being a boys job! I don't think I've ever told her that she could be a builder if she wanted to be....the general assumption is that builders are men.
I was invited to attend the Guernsey Women's Development Forum recently and was very interested in the topic of "female breadwinners".
I think women have a pretty clear understanding of what issues they face so perhaps it is time for the men to be involved in these presentations, for them to hear and start to understand the battles we face as women in our professions. But on the other side, what about the attitude of women...I am not a fan of generalisation and tend to avoid it if I can....... I think there should be an opportunity for men to be involved in these conversations that women have.
I also think that positions in leaderships and on boards should be given on the merits of the individual; what skills does that person have? What is their experience? Or level of expertise? What can they bring to our business and how can they help move the business forward and make improve,nets I. The areas important to us? Eg bottom line, market share, reputation etc.
I don't think it is right for it to be a competition between men and women as to who can get to the top but more so an opportunity of working together. To compliment each other. Does it matter if there isn't a woman in the leadership team or on the board? Yes and no! Depends on the reasons why. If its because the men have an attitude of the women not being up to job then that's not right but if there really isn't a woman in the organisation with the right skills or experience to offer value to the team then there's no point in having a woman in the team for the sake of it.
We're still changing the traditional mindset....how many of us grew up with the man of the house being the provider and the woman being the homemaker and childminder? Many families still work this way but I think it is changing. I think women faced the dilemma of needing to go out to work again during the 1980s when interest rates were high and mortgages were a struggle. It came out of necessity, women not really having much choice. They gained a sense of independence, of achievement and could make their own financial contribution to their family.
From this I think perhaps some of these women actually decided they liked working.....it wasn't just working because they had to, they enjoyed it, found it more purposeful and satisfying than being at home. I'm not denying being a homemaker and looking after children isn't an important job, it certainly is and I, personally, take my hat off to those mothers who are full time careers for their families. It's a tough job!
My own experience is interesting....I have two children,one at school and one starting later this year. Just over two years ago I went back to work full time, purely due to financial need and my husband became part time and took over the school and nursery run and after school care. At first I hated it! But, as time has gone on, it's been the best thing we ever did. Financially, we manage better, I enjoy my job and fee like I'm making a career out of it and my husband is much better at looking after the girls than I am!! He says he wouldn't want to go back to work full time now. We are basically playing to our strengths. We work well as a team. I couldn't do what I do without him being there for our children. Other people seem to have more of an issue with it than we do! I go away on business from time to time, being away from home for a night to two; I study or work late. It's not an issue for us but for others it is, however, if I was a man doing this job, working late, going away on business no head would turn, no second thought would be Ives...it's what men do....right?
Perhaps now is the time to realise that women can have a career, that they can do just as well as men but lets not make it a competition, lets make it a collaboration, complimentary members of teams, of leadership, of boards.
There's so much more I could say.....maybe that's another post sometime?
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