Elusive glass ceiling for women
Advent
Have you ever heard of the infamous Oxford don Reverend Spooner? Well, his claim to fame is that he generously gifted the world the concept of spoonerism. And my gut tells me that he probably elicited a giggle or two in his rarefied circles. But what is it?
A spoonerism is a speech error in which the speaker switches the initial consonants of two consecutive words. If you say “bunny phone” instead of “funny bone,” you’ve uttered a spoonerism.
It is [derived] from the name of the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (22 July 1844 – 29 August 1930), an English scholar who reputedly made such errors in speaking.
Muddling my words
Spoonerism notwithstanding, I sometimes find myself inadvertently muddling my own words and creating transpositions or spins on things. This week, it was skirting on thin ice, not skirting the issue or skating on thin ice, no, I created my own version. One has to know that one has a proclivity for this or it can be quite embarrassing. I developed it as a part of a greater affliction.
It is accompanied by forgetfulness that strikes every now and then too. In addition, chocolate cravings have overtaken me of late, the like of which would horrify the nurse who took my blood recently, and cautioned me not to go overboard with the sugar.
I have also experienced being achy all over sporadically. And the unexpected exhaustion is insane! Yes, it is that P-word: perimenopause to be exact. It is the time when a woman’s hormones tend to fluctuate disproportionately as oestrogen production slows down with accompanying symptoms.
Any woman in her 40s better be aware: it feels as though it strikes indiscriminately. And once it has you, the hapless victim, in its clutches, it keeps you against your will, drains you of energy or coherent thinking and makes you lose interest in things you once loved.
It is quite the thing to navigate all year round. But over the festive season, women have to endure perimenopause symptoms on top of the usual tiredness that this time of the year ordinarily brings.
Stresses over the festive season
Women already have so much on their plates, but over the festive season, new stresses emerge. Some, in high-level jobs find themselves contemplating the impact of an unexpected crisis, hoping that it won’t affect their time with their family or cut a holiday short.
Others need to keep children occupied as they have more time on their hands and need to be entertained while the budget takes a beating. Family stresses also take their toll: all of a sudden loved ones who hardly saw each other during the year are thrust together and are expecting to be jolly. Oh dear.
Women at the heart and in thick of things
One thing is clear though, women are often at the heart and in the thick of things. And women are tired … The modern workplace is a grind for women – long hours and incessant demands take their toll. Of course, the elusive glass ceiling is as elusive as ever. Is it worth doing whatever it takes to get there?
Are solopreneurs or small business owners, perhaps, not in a better position especially by the time we hit 40 and beyond? Hear me out and then let me know in the comments.
Despite the hope to implement strategies that would allow more women to break through that glass ceiling in the workplace, increasingly it seems as though women are voluntarily opting out of the boardroom.
Why women eschew the path to the glass ceiling
An older article of UChicago News from 2018 puts it beautifully:
“The glass ceiling—the barrier women face in advancing to the top of their professions—has been surprisingly durable. Women are 45 per cent of total employees at the biggest U.S. public companies but hold only about 20 per cent of board seats and 5 per cent of the CEO jobs, reports the non-profit Catalyst. The statistics are similarly skewed in Europe, according to a 2016 fact sheet from the European Union.”
Why would that be though? I believe, though some may bang me over my traditional little head that women are born to nurture and are naturally drawn to industries where these instincts are fully utilised. We are also attracted to jobs that perhaps do not pay as much. The same article expresses it beautifully – I do not believe much has changed – as follows:
“But some of the earnings gender gap may be due to what women study in college, research finds. Many female students opt for literature or art history—or other majors that lead to jobs that, while fulfilling, tend toward careers with lower average earnings.”
There was also this interesting observation:
“But Bertrand wrote that female college students, in deciding what to study, could also be considering what challenges they expect to face in their careers. Women may be deliberately avoiding professions that are relatively risky and competitive, she said.”
Women have other goals in life
Also, rather on the dated side, but supporting this notion is The Gender Action Portal that nailed it on the head:
“Women have a higher number of life goals than men, though a work smaller proportion of these goals involves achieving power at work. Women also find high-level positions just as attainable but much less desirable than men, anticipating more negative outcomes and greater conflict with other life goals.”
What is clear is that women have various goals and roles that they need to consider; they are, after all, often the primary caregivers in the family, looking after children, arranging schedules and organising carpools, which are largely left to women. They are also the ones who often look after aged family members.
Duties around the home also require time and this is also often delegated to women. Homework and parent-teacher meetings are often the domain of Moms who have to make sure that children’s needs and advancement are taken care of.
If married to another high flyer, there is no time for additional travel and late-night meetings. Who is going to walk the dog? Hiring others is good and well but in the economies we live in, people are just getting by – there is no money to be outsourcing tasks.
What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments, please.
Hormones, the culprit
But there is yet another reason I have alluded to. Women have given up high-flying corporate positions due to hormones. MBody’s article, “How Hormones Influence Being a Woman in the Workplace” is truly insightful and worth reading in full.
“Workplace wellness for women generally focuses on maternity support, but there’s a critical gap in care for women who continue working in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
“Around half of the current workforce in the US and UK are women, and research shows 1 in 10 women will stop working because their hormonal symptoms have become too debilitating.”
Furthermore, the article continued, “Unfortunately, we can’t ignore statistics like this one: nearly 900,000 women in the UK lost or left their employment due to menopausal symptoms, according to a 2019 survey jointly conducted by BUPA and CIPD. The good news is, there is progress being made in this space helping to change that narrative.”
The symptoms that can wreak havoc
Were you even aware? Women are faced with an alarming number of issues as they move beyond their early 40s. When brain fog is stealing your memory and altering your facts, a wrong decision in the boardroom can cost millions.
With women claiming that anxiety during this time hitting an all-time high, the additional stress is a killer too. Driving around at night to attend those late-night meetings also engender a different type of anxiety. Yes, that is perimenopause for you.
What about issues like stress headaches that beset in such a way that all concentration is lost. Tinnitus and other ailments also start and can affect efficacy in a high-powered meeting.
What about blurry vision? Presbyopia, as it is known, strikes in one’s mid-40s and decline can be rapid; some people’s vision problems can affect their roles at work. Consider for a moment the plight of an editor battling to read the fine print.
Other symptoms like internal vibrations and physical shaking can leave colleagues and potential customers shaken. It is not to say that women cannot excel after a certain age; most symptoms are, after all, transient. Moreover, not everyone is affected; some women hardly exhibit any symptoms at all.
But, somehow, it feels as though the prevalence of perimenopause is getting worse. More and more women report adverse effects, and there seems to be a trend that yet others are increasingly seeking alternative employment where the pace is different, if slower.
People seeking flexibility
Is that wrong? I do not think so. Young men are jumping at the opportunity to work flexible hours as illustrated by the slew of new entrepreneurs who espouse exactly this ideal. Perhaps, the illusion of the high-powered boardroom, where people travel a lot and work absurd hours, has been found to be impractical all round.
Maybe after putting in the hours studying for a qualification and working hard to attain a certain position, it would appear that women have discovered that they are simply made differently, and yearn for a work-life balance.
Or perhaps, in a post-Covid-19 world, we have realised that we can have the life we dreamed of and are eschewing the rat race and choosing a simpler lifestyle or cottagecore as I wrote recently?
Social media platforms are buzzing with women expressing the need for time to work on hobbies, visit friends, nurture families, plant gardens, etc. They also require time to take care of themselves. In that sense, time is finite, there is only so much women can pack into 24 hours a day, so many days of a week.
Glass ceiling, an illusion?
It could very well be that the glass ceiling was an illusion the entire time. Isn’t that sad considering that some women have had to pay a hefty price for a seat at the table?
Ultimately, we all make choices one way or another. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon us to do what God leads us to do and that works for our families. Perhaps, that is the ultimate “high-powered job” suitable for us. It could very well be that the perceptions of our worth need to change.
I did not intend to do a hatchet job on high-powered female executives. In years gone by, I probably envied them to be honest. I also wanted to climb the corporate ladder.
Women in those high-powered jobs in all probability won’t read this due to time constraints, but kudos to them. If you are numbered among those who are neck-deep in problems to solve and relish the opportunity, I want to take my hat off to you. You are the unicorn, probably not the norm.
I write simply to help my fellow sisters – those who have been grinding things out day-in and day-out, and who have possibly not reached the lofty heights – to revel in their abilities and skills. It could be that they have been among those who have found joy, peace, love and grace in doing what they love. Ultimately, though, the point is that we need to honour God with what we do.
Work at it with all your heart
There is truly a special plan for each and every one of us. If that is being a stay-at-home Mom who generates income from various talents like Noemi of Scandish Home. Why not?
It is absolutely a joy to be a homemaker and seeing one’s children flourish in a world that has so many challenges. I admire women who know their way around a video/camera, write scripts, have special talents, clean their houses and teach others skills all while having a desk in a corner somewhere in their own home allowing them to be present for their family.
A Proverbs 31 woman is to be commended. We are called to give our best to God and to work as though we are working for him.
A different take on life and livelihood
Life as a solopreneur or small business owner is definitely worth considering. It genuinely seems to be just the trick to achieving our earthly and heavenly mission. It is probably why more of us are trying our hand at an online business and using our skills to do our own thing.
With all the emphasis on innovation and modernity, it is not too unlike days of old, when the town had a baker, grocer, milliner, tailor, cobbler, haberdasher, etc. The hats and actual tasks may have changed, but the need to carve out our own way and provide for ourselves and families, seemingly not so much. Ironic, isn’t it.
Like the constant beat of our hearts, keeping us alive physically day in day out, so the love of our God sustains us. Always there, if not always perceptible: and we can take it for granted. That is why Advent lends itself to meditating on the wonder that is our God, the One who came to dwell with mankind.
Jesus is, was and will always be our constant. He never changes. Times may ebb and flow, but his character and his Word do not. We can rely on him no matter the season of our lives. How grateful we can be for his birth and how amazing is the notion of his Second Coming.
If this resonated with you in any way or made you consider this from a new angle, please click on the heart right at the bottom of the post and show your appreciation. Spread the love on the socials and do join us for the rest of the Advent journey.
Please note Scripture quoted throughout is taken from the New International Version.
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