Well the figures are out and we can see for ourselves. Four our of every ten businesses in the United States are female-owned. For bigger companies it’s two out of ten. Is that a “Whoopie” I hear, or the resigned strains of groaning?
So things are heading in the right direction, are they not? Let’s face it, there was a time when we weren’t even trusted with the vote. Progress.
Or we could look at things a different way and ask why it is that we’re still under-represented, as we are in so many other walks of life. This country is still to see a female President. Perhaps we’re not up to the job. But then the men have been a roaring success, haven’t they?
Just What Is the Problem?
It’s easy to think of it all in terms of a cautiously changing world. One which used to be totally male-dominated and is now only mostly male-dominated. Girls are getting more opportunities but it’s going to take time before everything is entirely equal, yes?
Unfortunately that’s only half the story. Research has shown than in IT, for example, more than half of women leave the industry at mid-level, compared to about a quarter of men. Why does that happen?
There’s no one reason but bullying, a lack of a conducive environment, in fact a generally crappy work atmosphere for women in fields of work which have traditionally been the domain of men have all been shown to play a part.
Do Men Really Resent Successful Women?
I don’t think so, not on an individual level anyway. But it’s a cultural, societal thing. When those who once were the breadwinners no longer play that role there is bound to be a sense of inadequacy, a subconscious feeling of hurt pride.
It’s the change that’s resented, not us. But that doesn’t make it any easier.
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