In recent years, the fight for gender equality in the workplace has moved from the streets to the digital realm. With events like #IWD2016 gaining global traction, organizations like VMA GROUP are actively engaging in discussions about women’s success in professional environments. Their ‘Balancing the Board’ programme, featuring seminars on limiting behaviours, highlights the ongoing conversation about gender dynamics at work.
Hope and Empowerment
The seminars offered a hopeful glimpse into the future, showcasing successful women who confidently navigated their career paths. These discussions ignited ambition, proving that reaching the top tiers of the professional world is achievable without compromising one’s gender identity.
The Gendered Behaviour Dilemma
Despite the optimism, a concerning theme emerged: some women felt the need to adopt traditionally male behaviours to succeed. This notion of “ladding it up” sparked debate. Why should women alter their identity to thrive professionally, when men are not expected to do the same? This raises the question of whether limiting behaviours are truly gendered or if societal perceptions have created these stereotypes.
Challenging Gender Labels
Behaviours often labeled as ‘female’ or ‘male’ may not be inherently tied to gender. For instance:
- Is assertiveness a male trait, or simply a characteristic of someone confident in their goals?
- Is apologetic language female, or a historical response from an oppressed group in male-dominated spaces?
Many women in leadership roles exhibit assertiveness, not by acting less female, but by rejecting outdated stereotypes.
Words from Leadership
Carolyn McCall, CEO of EasyJet, addressed this issue during Advertising Week Europe, emphasizing the importance of authenticity:
“You need to be comfortable with yourself to be confident. Of course, in different situations you have to adapt your behaviour. You sometimes have to be more assertive in meetings, but that’s a change of tone, not character. If you defeminise, you are changing yourself. Work is hard enough; adapting yourself in this way only makes it harder.”
VMA GROUP continues to explore these topics through events focused on communications, digital, and marketing. Discover more about their initiatives on LinkedIn.
