Posted: 2/20/2008 6:09:29 AM EDT
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So I'm a female and I was just in a situation where a higher up would rather talk to a man than me. Even though I am the one who knows more and I should be the first person of contact. Does it bother anyone else to be looked over just because of gender????  
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Well it would bother me . Seems to me alot of times politics comes into play as well . and its not just gender but nationality and other factors including religion . My work has Packistinis , mexicans , White americans , alot boils down to who you like and who you know . Can also be a way to make someone look good or bad . Politics . |
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LOL my husband and I have conversations all the time about how the Corps is "the good ole boys" club. To be honest when I worked corporate I hating working for females. I found they were a lot less logical than working for men and I got tired of emotions coming into play at work. As for being looked over in the Corps...try being the dependent and a female. Its bullshit. our men and women are over fighting the gd taliban but our very own military treats dependent women like crap. I was actually told once to go call my husband and get permission to pick my kids up from school because the school had failed to record our payment. Why the hell should I need my husband's permission to pick up my kids? they are MY kids for crying out loud. But nevertheless I had to call my husband at work and hand the cell phone over to the .gov employee sitting behind the desk so he could talk to her. blech...don't get me started on how .mil treats women... |
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I'd say there's a different between "get used to it" and accepting it though..stand your ground. Don't let it get to you, but don't believe its ok, either. Also accept you'll have to do your job twice as well to be accepted as half as good. Not fair, but do it anyway. There are women who went through a hell of a lot more so you could be where you are..make it easier for someone else down the line. AND..be careful you don't do the same thing..its so ingrained that we do it ourselves more than we think..make a conscious effort not to. |
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Barbara has a good point. Even my husband admits that the women work twice as hard as the men and get less acknowledgement for it. He has also told me how they are held to stricter rules, example was a female GY dating a Sgt and she was punished and demoted and I believe he said she was separated from the Corps. Yet you get a male GY dating a Sgt and people will be more likely to look the other way. So as a female you have to keep your nose cleaner than the men. OTOH my husband teaches MCMAP and he said he had a couple of female SSgts that while he was teaching throws last week they just stood to the side giggling and not doing what they were meant to do. When he went over to ask them why they weren't practicing one of them apparently said something about not wanting to get hurt. So yeah, he switched their partners to the largest males in the group and gave the order for the new partner to not be gentle with throws. 
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I work in education and almost all my coworkers are female. In my office I have two males (includes me) and 8 females (6 college aged, 2 middle aged). Personally - I could care less what sex you are. If you know the answer - good. If not - move along and find me somebody that does. I have never noticed a problem in education, but like I said - there are more women then men in education. On a side note - there are days I want to throw myself out the window. College aged women can be drama queens. Av. |
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In my organization, there is a woman who will file an EO complaint at the drop of a hat. The consequences of her actions are that men are afraid to talk to just about ANY woman in the organization for fear that they will be called on the carpet if they say the wrong thing. Conversely, there are men who are chauvinistic by upbringing, culture, etc... sucks, but it's how it is. Hopefully you can improve the situation. Stew |
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Barbra has made some very good points.. for starters it is a lot better than it once was. My aunt commissioned Army from the University of Oklahoma in 1974 retired in 2000 as a Col. Relatively speaking they say it takes on average 20 years to make Col... well it took women longer to gain rank than men back then. Things are a lot different now than they were then, some good changes, some bad. Further, Don't be so shocked when a situation like that happens just continue to to your best and it will be noted by someone. |
Pretty much what I meant. Well said, Barbara. Also, don't look for trouble. I've found it comes your way often enough without seeking it out  |
No kidding. Especially if you are in the military.  You have to prove yourself above and beyond what any male would have to do. Once you do things will be okay, but don't think you can slack off any. Been there done that, and still have had to do that in the civilian world, because most jobs I have done are male oriented.
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Oh, I could always make my own. I always pointed out they left a E-3 in charge.
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I was in the Army about 25 years ago now.... Lol. I would hope after all the crap I went through that it is somewhat better now for females in any branch,but I also wouldn't hold my breath on it either, alot of male mentality of women not belonging in the military could still be there. You just have to grow a thick skin in the military, and prove that you do know what you are doing, do everything well and hopefully you will get noticed on your own merits. |