Ouch! This would be hysterical if it didn’t ring so painfully true! Some of its clever quips are rooted in too-true stereotypes, but some are indisputable: unequal pay and lack of unpaid maternity leave are the status quo. With Hillary Clinton running for president and Indra Nooyi running Pepsi, one might think parity has been achieved in the workplace and that women hold positions of power and influence. However, a huge gap persists — women are under-represented in these spheres.
Kristen Bell’s video reminded me of 2011’s Miss Representation. Watching it was a huge awakening. Its central theme is a Marion Wilson (The White House Project) quote: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Visible role models are vital. I had never thought about how their inconspicuous absence shapes our collective subconscious as a society. The film presents information and statistics, but the revealing behind-the-scenes stories are wild. The media’s portrayal of women and girls is disturbing because its messaging about youth, beauty and sexuality are often subconscious — a pervasive odorless gas that everyone is breathing in. We may not even think about it a lot or at all, but it’s always at work.
A client once told me that after sharing her homemade cookies with a higher up, he mansplained that bakers don’t get corner offices. When she eventually launched her own consultancy, her skills and work ethic continued to benefit her — creating great value and being rewarded financially — but importantly, she still bakes. But in this new context, it makes for happy, loyal clients.
