Women in PM Leadership

A new community interested in Women Leadership has been opened this year in Buenos Aries, Argentina. After five meetings where men and women exchanged ideas, and with the purpose of closing the year sharing all the research done, an open community meeting was held.

The event baptized “Taking Conscience”, began with the participation of the audience through on-line surveys to allow them to identify any possible biases regarding gender roles and their expectations.

Representative touching stories about women throughout history were presented to understand the reason of the complexity of gender matters. Every story included a fight for equality of rights and opportunities during the last centuries, dealing with consequences such as being condemned to the guillotine.

We later remembered remarkable women in several disciplines and discussed what they had in common.

Women who made significant contributions to the information technology since 1843 were then brought up. This proved that the field is suitable to the female brain, and they highlighted the lack of visibility that women have had. 

What is going on nowadays? World-wide statistics show that access to top managerial positions for women as well as the gender and race wage gap have got a very long way to go. This happens in every country but in Argentina in particular. Project Management Institute, based on a survey made in 22 countries, counts only with 30% of women. Moreover, they are paid less than their male pairs. In the event a cute video was shown, in which a boy and a girl, through a game, realized the incomprehensible injustice of this reality.

Why is this still happening then? We talked about both internal and external barriers, stereotypes and myths that lead us to this complex situation, limiting us on our choices or conditioning our surroundings.

What can we do to change? How do we deconstruct these barriers? We shared some progress from several worldwide organizations that have set the goal to achieve an equal payment and distribution by 2030 for women, young men and people with disabilities. Iceland is a perfect example of how that goal can be reached.

Gender diversity programs that companies are implementing were mentioned, pointing the pros and cons of some measures. One of the members shared her experience in a corporation showing us the consequences of one of those programs and the benefits it had for every employee.

Counting on the Psychologist Elena Espil support, we shared few advices and tips that allow us to understand how mental models differs between women and men. This can help us improve our ability to communicate, taking advantage of the best qualities from everybody.

Inspiring messages and videos were presented in order to question ourselves about our own misconceptions and experiences.

Everyone is invited to join us next year to continue addressing these topics within the framework of PMI.

During a final toast we had the opportunity to exchange needs and establish connections with other organizations that pursue similar interests.

Personally, I believe the first step is recognizing our own biases. Only then we will be able to change this world into one with equality of opportunities.

We wish you a prosperous New Year in which we continue taking conscience!

Understanding what ‘s leading us to lose the motivation to struggle to move from middle management to senior leadership, is what will allow us to overcome our own barriers and eliminate the preconceptions that lie deep in the minds of men, but also in the minds of many women.

We see women today claiming for leadership spaces, but at the same time we also see opportunities in front of them that many women seem not to want to take advantage of.

That's where I start thinking about the famous "glass ceiling"; could it be that in “all” cases are “others” who are putting that ceiling on us? Could it be that in many cases we find that ceiling because “we” are the ones to limit ourselves before the slightest difficulty or resistance? I think it’s an important mix of both.

The macho society effectively puts a barrier that don’t allow us to move toward the leadership positions we want, as a matter of fact. But, let us think about it, are those the opportunities we truly want? I see that we do not hesitate to assume leadership at home, but what happens at workplace?

Perhaps the problem is that we are not really interested in those opportunities, which in most cases have been designed for and by men.

I understand there is an important lack of appropriate laws that defends us from abuse and other fundamental rights that must be respected in modern societies. But what I want to focus on is “our” awareness about what are we fighting for? We have to state if we are wanting to compete with them in a “man” scenario or if we want to generate a new one, suitable for both women and men.

I firmly and deeply believe we must innovate, generate new spaces, investigate new options, create the opportunities that truly mobilize us. Maybe the current proposals are not those that motivate us and we should discover what is that in which women are interested in to lead. 

Many studies attribute the lack of women in leadership positions to the fact that we are not interested in hard sciences, we are afraid to take risks, we are afraid of failure, we don’t like to compete.

I don’t see it in that way. At least not in most of the women I know. We like to compete, we like hard sciences and we also take risks and huge ones.

We are still suffering a heavy cultural influence in which women must be "in charge of the house" and carry out everything related to family care.

But things are changing and today there are many men interested in sharing these care activities. So, the extra work should not be the reason.

I want to present you the case of a leader from the Argentine Northwest, Rosario Quispe, who decided to take the initiative to change the lives of 80 aboriginal communities in the Puna area, more precisely in Abra Pampa, province of Jujuy.

It’s a place abandoned to his own fate, with almost no roads and water. In this context and with unemployment reaching high levels, young people was moving away because the opportunities were outside the community. People migrated to not return any more. their own culture was vanishing.

In those critical moments, this woman without formal studies or economic resources but with a great vision and strong determination, decided to create an association of women from her community that called Warmi Sayajsungo ("Persevering women" in Quechua). In her own words, it was created "to be together, to be better, to eat, to be able to educate our children".

This association soon began to promote productive activities, microcredit systems to support these activities and also got support from different personalities to improve the infrastructure, health and education of the community. 

In partnership with a private university from other province, opened in 2012 the University of La Puna in Abra Pampa. They had the first graduate as a Safety and Hygiene Technician in 2016 and in a few months, the first students in Economics and Business Administration will graduate, too. "If we do not have studies, we can lose many things" said Quispe. 

In summary: a group of women without resources or formal education but with a motivation to lead a change in their communities, ventured to take a step further. After 20 years they continue to work hard to improve continuously and to reach a point of no return for all improvements established.

The diamond theory says that we can not have complete control over the others or even over our own objectives, no matter how much we try to convince people or to reach our goals. What we actually can control is ourselves and our own learning processes and knowledge gained through experience, so we must focus primarily on what we have control over. This is why I think that the solution is mainly in our hands and that we could only reach our goals with intense work, innovating to create a fair and equitative world both for women and men, a world where I am sure we would be truly interested in being leaders.. 

Let us lead this essential change that we all need to undertake!

Innovar para encontrar nuestros propios espacios de liderazgo, esa es la clave - Por Adriana Cibelli
 

Entender qué es lo que nos lleva a perder la motivación por luchar para avanzar desde mandos medios al liderazgo senior, es lo que nos va a permitir superar nuestras propias barreras y eliminar los preconceptos que subyacen  profundamente en la mente de los hombres, pero también en la de muchas mujeres.

Vemos en la actualidad mujeres reclamando espacios de liderazgo, pero a la vez también vemos oportunidades que se presentan y que muchas mujeres parecen no querer aprovechar. 

Es allí donde comienzo a pensar acerca del famoso “techo de cristal”; ¿Será que en todos los casos nos están poniendo ese techo? ¿Será que en muchos casos somos nosotras mismas las que nos auto limitamos ante el mínimo indicio de dificultad o resistencia? Creo que es un poco de ambos.

Efectivamente la sociedad machista nos impone barreras que no nos dejan avanzar hacia las posiciones de liderazgo que queremos, sin lugar a dudas. Pero pensemos un poco más allá, son esas oportunidades las que verdaderamente queremos? No dudamos en asumir el liderazgo en nuestras casas, pero qué nos impide asumir liderazgos en el ámbito laboral?

Tal vez la problemática pase porque no nos interesan verdaderamente esas oportunidades, que en su mayor parte han sido diseñadas por y para hombres.

¿Deberíamos innovar y generar nuevos espacios, investigar nuevas opciones?
De esto estoy convencida.

Se entiende, por supuesto, que aún falta mucho camino por recorrer, como leyes contra el abuso y tantos otros derechos fundamentales que deberían ser respetados en sociedades modernas. No podemos desconocer esa realidad. Pero quiero poner el foco en nuestra propia concientización sobre aquello por lo cual reclamamos. Debemos tener claro si queremos competir con los hombres en un escenario de hombres o bien generar nuevos, que se adequen a hombres y mujeres.

Creo firme y profundamente que debemos innovar, generar nuevos espacios, investigar nuevas opciones, crear las oportunidades que verdaderamente nos movilicen. Tal vez los planteos actuales no sean aquellos que nos motiven y debamos descubrir qué es lo que a las mujeres nos interesa liderar.

Muchos estudios atribuyen la ausencia de mujeres en puestos de liderazgo al hecho de que no nos interesan las ciencias duras, a que tenemos miedo a tomar riesgos, a que le tenemos miedo al fracaso, a que no nos gusta competir.
No lo veo así. Al menos no en la mayoría de las mujeres que conozco. Nos gusta competir, nos gustan las ciencias duras y también tomamos riesgos, grandes riesgos por cierto.

Aún tenemos ese gran peso cultural en el que la mujer debe tomar “cuenta de la casa” y llevar a cabo todo lo relacionado con el cuidado de la familia y lo doméstico.
Pero las cosas están cambiando y hoy día hay muchos hombres interesados en compartir estos cuidados y actividades, con lo cual ese trabajo adicional que consume nuestro tiempo y energías no debería ser el motivo.

Quiero presentarles el caso de una líder del Noroeste Argentino, Rosario Quispe, quien decidió tomar la iniciativa de cambiar la vida de 80 comunidades aborígenes en la zona de la Puna,  más precisamente en Abra Pampa, provincia de Jujuy.
Es un lugar librado a su propia suerte, con caminos casi inexistentes  al igual que el agua. En ese contexto y con un desempleo que había alcanzado niveles alarmantes, la cultura de su comunidad se estaba perdiendo. Los jóvenes se alejaban porque las oportunidades estaban fuera de la comunidad, la gente emigraba para no volver.

Fue entonces que esta sencilla mujer, sin estudios formales ni recursos económicos pero sí con una gran visión y una fuerte determinación, decidió en 1995 crear una asociación de mujeres de su comunidad. La llamó Warmi Sayajsungo (“Mujeres perseverantes” en quechua) y fue creada, según sus propias palabras, “para estar juntos, para estar mejor, para poder comer, para poder educar a nuestros hijos”.

Esta asociación en poco tiempo comenzó a impulsar actividades productivas, sistemas de microcréditos para apoyar esas actividades, y consiguió apoyo de distintas personalidades para mejorar la infraestructura, salud y educación de la comunidad.
En alianza con una universidad privada de otra provincia, abrió en 2012 la Universidad de la Puna en Abra Pampa. Tuvo su primer egresado como Técnico en Seguridad e Higiene en 2016 y en poco tiempo se tendrán los primeros graduados en Ciencias económicas y Administración de Empresas. “Si no tenemos estudios, podemos perder muchas cosas”, declaró Quispe.

En resumen: un grupo de mujeres sin recursos ni educación formal pero con la motivación de liderar ese cambio en sus comunidades, que se aventuraron a dar un paso más allá. Después de 20 años siguen trabajando duramente para mejorar y para que lo conseguido sea sustentable en el tiempo, que ya no tenga vuelta atrás.

Desde que conocí la teoría del diamante que dice que no podemos tener completo control sobre los demas y sobre inclusive, nuestros propios objetivos, aunque hagamos grandes esfuerzos por alcanzarlos y cconvencerlos; pero sí podemos tener control sobre nosotros mismos y nuestro aprendizaje a partir de nuestra experiencia.  Por esto mismo es que considero que la solución está principalmente en nuestras manos y solamente alcanzaremos nuestras metas mediante un intenso trabajo, innovando, para tener un mundo justo, equitativo para hombres y mujeres, en el cual no dudo, nos interesará ser las líderes.

Seamos verdaderas protagonistas de este cambio tan fundamental que todas precisamos llevar adelante!
 

To eradicate your own defects can be dangerous. You never know which defect is holding up the whole building. (Clarice Lispector, Brazilian writer)
 

Business transformation is a very trendy topic amongst managers now, right? There is a lot being said about focusing on people, human interactions, mindset change, diverse teams, participative management, collaboration, etc. to promote the so-called transformation. One thing they all have in common is assuming everyone is empowered enough to take the first step into the unknown, break barriers, and lead others. Well, we know it is not true.

Empowerment necessarily goes through self-awareness, self-consciousness, self-criticism. It is a process of discovering, learning, and understanding one’s own SWOT matrix and it could be a very dangerous path if taken alone. Having alongside someone who has already gone down that road or someone who is so self-assure that can serve as a reference for you to know where to go back to, if need be, can make this journey a lot more pleasant and even fruitful. This is what we project managers do for business transformation, and it is not different when the process is of personal transformation.

Yes, empowerment is a personal transformation and, although it is full of “self” processes, it achieves better results if orchestrated with those around you. We all know the comfort of a “me too!” and the power of a “you’re not alone”. We know. Look around you. These people sitting next to you every five days of the week are probably subject to the same influences that are mining your self-esteem. Those rumours, the interruptions during the meetings, that stolen idea, the underestimation of your competencies, second guessing your opinions, the sex jokes, the lustful eyes, the touchy colleague, the inappropriate boss, the sexual harassment… If you do not relate to most of these examples, well, then you are probably a guy.

“One is not born, but rather become, a woman”. That’s Simone de Beauvoir. She was not talking about gender identity there, that is a more profound sense and understanding of your feminine condition. Those examples? Yes, they are a way to make us women remember “our place”. The thing is: it is a very powerful place, once you understand what makes you a woman, which might not be easy if you try to do it alone. Embracing that place as the core of your being – that is empowerment. Talk to your girl peers. Share. Collaborate. Soon you will also learn the value of women coming together. And that is what is called sisterhood.

Sisterhood is a force. Once a woman connects to this feeling, there is absolutely nothing that will bring her down. Now imagine one woman holding the hand of another women, holding the hand of a third and so on, you will have a network of unbreakable women and here is when the transformation begins. Quoting Franz Kafka, “from a certain point onwards there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached”.

Empowered women can do anything, and sisterhood can be a powerful source for social transformation. But I guess this will be the topic for another conversation. Oh, and business transformation? Yeah, that’s a piece of cake.

--- Español

Metamorfosis: el proceso de iniciación del Empoderamiento

Erradicar tus propios defectos puede ser peligroso. Nunca se sabe qué defecto está sosteniendo todo el edificio. (Clarice Lispector, escritora brasileña)

La transformación del negocio es un tema muy de moda entre los gerentes ahora, ¿verdad? Se dice mucho sobre el enfoque en las personas, las interacciones humanas, el cambio de mentalidad, los equipos diversos, la gestión participativa, la colaboración, etc. para promover la llamada transformación. Una cosa que todos tienen en común es asumir que tienen el poder suficiente para dar el primer paso hacia lo desconocido, romper barreras y liderar a otros. Bueno, sabemos que no es cierto.

El empoderamiento necesariamente pasa por el conocimiento de sí mismo, la autoconciencia, la autocrítica. Es un proceso de descubrir, aprender y comprender la propia matriz FODA y podría ser un camino muy peligroso si uno lo toma solo. Tener al lado a alguien que ya haya recorrido ese camino o alguien que sea tan seguro de sí mismo que pueda servirle como referencia para que sepa dónde regresar, si es necesario, puede hacer que este viaje sea mucho más placentero e incluso fructífero. Esto es lo que hacemos los gerentes de proyectos para la transformación del negocio, y no es diferente cuando el proceso es de transformación personal.

Sí, el empoderamiento es una transformación personal y, aunque está lleno de procesos "propios", logra mejores resultados si se organiza con quienes te rodean. Todos conocemos el alivio de un "yo también" y el poder de un "no estás solo". Lo sabemos. Mira a tu alrededor. Estas personas sentadas a tu lado cinco días a la semana probablemente estén sujetas a las mismas influencias que minan tu autoestima. Los rumores, las interrupciones durante las reuniones, la idea robada, la subestimación de sus competencias, el cuestionamiento de sus opiniones, las bromas sexuales, los ojos lujuriosos, el colega “demasiado afectuoso”, el jefe desubicado, el acoso sexual ... Si estos ejemplos no te son familiares, bueno, entonces probablemente eres hombre.

"Uno no nace, sino que se convierte en mujer", dijo Simone de Beauvoir. Ella no hablaba de identidad de género sino de un sentido más profundo y una mayor comprensión de su condición femenina. ¿Esos ejemplos? Sí, son una forma de hacernos recordar a las mujeres "nuestro lugar". La cuestión es que una vez que entiendes lo que te convierte en mujer, lo cual no sería fácil si tratas de hacerlo sola, alcanzas un lugar muy poderoso. Abrazar ese lugar como el núcleo de tu ser, eso es empoderamiento. Habla con tus amigas mujeres. Comparte. Colabora. Pronto también aprenderán el valor de la unión entre mujeres. Y eso es lo que se llama hermandad.

La hermandad es una fuerza. Una vez que una mujer se conecta con este sentimiento no hay absolutamente nada que la derribe. Ahora imagina a una mujer sosteniendo la mano de otra mujer, sosteniendo la mano de una tercera, y así sucesivamente tendrás una red de mujeres inquebrantables y aquí es cuando comienza la transformación. Citando a Franz Kafka, “a partir de cierto punto ya no hay vuelta atrás. Ese es el punto que hay que alcanzar”.

Las mujeres empoderadas pueden hacer cualquier cosa, y la hermandad puede ser una fuente poderosa para la transformación social. Pero supongo que éste será el tema de otra conversación.  ¿Y la transformación del negocio? Sí, eso es sencillo.

In 2017 the World Economic Forum published the results of the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report (1). The report evaluates gender parity across four key areas: health, education, economy and politics in 144 different countries. The economic category evaluates participation in labor force, remuneration and advancement to leadership roles. Notably, after the political gap which is the widest but the one that narrows faster (77% gap that according to the report could be closed within 99 years) the economic gap is second in place (42%) but it would take 217 years to be closed at the pace of today. This means that, globally, women participation in labor force is poor, get paid less than their male counterparts and struggled to get into leadership positions. As a consequence there is a wide talent pool that is being underutilized.

Considering this situation, what can be said about women's role in project management and the future of the profession?

Though scarce information is found about women participation in project management,  data presented in the PMI Project Management Salary Survey—10th Edition indicate that women representation in the field could be estimated to be mainly between 20-30% and that their average salary is lower than that of men (2). This is not surprising taking into account that many of the industries with a long story in project management have been male-dominated like engineering, and construction (3). From the report, it would be interesting to know which roles or positions women hold in the area. PMI Salary survey includes this feature in its evaluation though no analysis by gender is performed with it.

Different studies analyze the future of jobs in a context of technological advancement and globalization. Technological drivers (mobile internet, cloud technology, big data, robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, etc)  together with demographic and socio economic drivers (changing nature of work, the emergence of the green revolution, ageing society, urbanization, etc) will disrupt business models and shift the employment landscape to a future where new skills, abilities and knowledge will be needed. Given this scenario, some sectors will face talent shortages and recruitment challenges (1, 4-6).

Related to project management, we found that rapid change and fierce market competition are pushing organizations to rapidly adapt to changes and to maximize value delivery of their businesses and organizational practices. Organizations are thus increasingly recognizing the benefits of successful management of projects and so project management practices are growing and expanding to different industries, even to those that were traditionally less project-oriented like health care, professional services, education and public administration (7-10). This increase in projects and in project based organizations, named by the term projectification by different authors, is expected to generate a project related job growth of 33% collectively by 2027 (7-12) As a result, it is expected that organizations may experience shortages in qualified talent in the future (7). Given that the proportion of women in project management is low, opportunities arise here to fulfill that need and to grow in the area. In fact, some authors agree that one of the different trends of project management in the future is increase women participation (8, 13). It would be interesting to know whether women participation in project management is actually increasing nowadays since it seems to have increased in countries like Germany and UK (8).

On the other hand, looking at the big picture to the whole labor market and analyzing the perspectives for women we found that future jobs will grow mainly in the area of computer, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is worth noting since these jobs belong to highly projectized industries where women are under-represented. This is not only due to low women enrolment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers but also to a low proportion of women entering those fields once graduated and a high proportion leaving them once they have entered ( 1,4,14-16). According to the Global Gender Gap Report (1), if gender gap ratios informed persist over the 2015–2020 period there will be nearly one new STEM job per four jobs lost for men, but only one new STEM job per 20 jobs lost for women.

In summary, future growth and emerging roles in areas with poor participation of women could generate an increase in women economic inequity. Concerns regarding a restricted talent pool have increase among these growing industries who are already experiencing difficulties in their hiring process and that will see them aggravated (1, 10). Opportunities as well as challenges arise. Women and project management professionals with the technical and leadership skills but also with a strategic vision, knowledge and understanding of the evolving technologies and their impact in business models and societies will find opportunities and be in advantage. Industries and organizations may need to put their efforts in hiring, retaining and promoting talented individuals that may not yet be considered or that are under-represented. Governments and society should recognize the importance of education and its impact on gender equity and take actions.

Growing evidence indicate that promoting gender parity has its impact in the growth, competitiveness and future readiness of economies and businesses (1). Projects are the way organizations increasingly use to deliver their results and create value. In view of this, it would be wise for professionals in the project management area to encourage diversity and work towards equal opportunities for women in the field.

REFERENCES

1. The Global Gender Gap Report 2017. Insight Report. World Economic Forum.
2. Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey. 10th Edition. (2017). Project Management Institute. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
3. Henderson, L. S. & Stackman, R. W. (2010) An exploratory study of gender in project management: interrelationships with role, location, technology, and project cost.. Project Management Journal, 41(5), 37–55.
4. The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Global Challenge Insight Report (2016). World Economic Forum.
5. The skills revolution. Digitization and why skills and talent matter (2016). ManpowerGroup.
6. Bakhshi, H., Downing, J., Osborne, M. and Schneider, P. (2017). The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030. London: Pearson and Nesta.
7. PMI Pulse of the Profession 2018. Success in Disruptive Times. Project Management Institute. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
8. Schoper Y G, Gemünden H.G and Nguyen N. (2016). Fifteen future trends for Project Management in 2025. IPMA Expert Seminar.
9. Gemünden, H. G. (2013). Projectification of Society. Project Management Journal, 44(3), 2–4).
10. Project Management. Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017-2027. Project Management Institute. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA.
11. Y.-G. Schoper et al. (2018) Projectification in Western economies: A comparative study of Germany, Norway and Iceland. International Journal of Project Management 36 71–82
12. Packendorff, J. & Lindgren, M. (2014). Projectification and its consequences: Narrow and broad conceptualisations. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, Vol 17, No 1: pp. 7-21.
13. Future of project management. (2017). ARUP.
14.  OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris.
15. Fouad NA, Chang W-H, Wan M and Singh R (2017) Women’s Reasons for Leaving the Engineering Field. Front. Psychol. 8:875.
16. Scott, A., F. K. Klein and U. Onovakpuri (2017). Tech Leavers Survey: A First-of-its-Kind Analysis of Why People Voluntarily Left Jobs in Tech.

“…Social-science research has demonstrated that when female attorneys show emotions like indignation, impatience, or anger, jurors may see them as shrill, irrational, and unpleasant. The same emotions, when expressed by men, are interpreted as appropriate to the circumstances of a case. So when I entered the courtroom, I took on the persona of a woman who dressed, spoke, and behaved in a traditionally feminine and unthreatening manner.”  (1) 

“…Yahoo slapped with lawsuit for gender discrimination against men (…) A former Yahoo employee is suing Yahoo, alleging that CEO Marissa Mayer and other execs implemented an employee review system that led to an illegal mass firing of employees targeting men.” (2)(3) 
 

I would like to begin this article referring to two current experiences that affected both genders. One of them is about sexism in the area of ​​the law and the other is about a case of alleged gender discrimination by an Executive Director, a woman. 

It is evident that we still do not have a healthy balance in terms of gender equity in various spheres, including the workplace.  And since our main concern in this blog is to improve the working conditions, I believe it is time for us all to take action. We are all responsible (both men and women) for the culture in which we live and produce, so it is vital that we actively participate in the process of achieving gender equity. It is a proven fact that wherever fair gender measures have been taken to restore a proper gender balance, the working conditions have improved and the firms thrived. Undoubtedly, the more we approach a healthy balance, the more both women and men benefit from the change. 

There is no evidence that one sex is better than the other at performing the tasks associated with a certain position, but there are stereotyped roles associated with each gender that condition us to expect certain behaviors considered socially acceptable. Gender biases then, are valid for everyone. 

When we apply gender stereotypes, we do not talk about a person in its uniqueness, we apply a vision that is both generalized and impersonal. 

• Some of the traits used to describe the stereotype of masculinity are: independent, unempathic,  unemotional, aggressive, insensitive, competitive,  experienced, strong, active, self-confident, hard and sexually aggressive. (4) 
   
• Some of the traits that define the stereotype of femininity are: dependent, empathic emotional, passive, sensitive, quiet, weak, insinuating, soft, sexually submissive and complacent (4) 
   

¿What happens in our minds when a woman does not comply with what is culturally expected of her?
 
 
According to Sheryl Sandberg (chief operating officer (COO) of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org) “… success and likability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. When a man is successful, he is liked by both men and women. When a woman is successful, people of both genders like her less”. (5) (6) (7)
 

¿Is this so? 
 

It would be very enriching to get feedback on this issue both from our male and female readers. We are likely to learn that prejudice and discrimination do not limit to women. But what we do need to acknowledge is that power still lays heavier on one plate of the scale, for there is no denying that throughout history Western societies, eminently patriarchal, have helped to build this power imbalance that affects us all equally. 

In order to  become aware of how we tend to react at certain behaviours we should at least start by admitting the powerful influence of culture transmitted from generation to generation, which defines (ergo limits) the acceptable roles for each gender.

In 2018 we have the feeling that we have advanced a lot in these matters, but in practice the progress made is not that stellar and what worsens the situation is that gender indicators are hard to measure.  Since perceptions of oneself and of the other fall into the sensitive (not quantifiable) area of subjectivity, we will not make any advance  without a direct appeal to our crudest honesty and self critique.

This point comes all too well illustrated by the American author Roxane Gay when she states:   “…Everyone holds certain judgments about others (…) We’re human. We’re  flawed. Most people are simply at the mercy of centuries of cultural conditioning. Most people are a little bit racist, but they’re not marching in Klan rallies or burning crosses or vandalizing mosques. The better among us try, to varying degrees of success, to overcome that cultural conditioning”  (8)

So our initial proposal is to make an effort, both emotional and intellectual, to become aware of how we judge ourselves and others. If leadership skills are to become diverse and not gender biased we should start by paying full attention to what happens when a female leader shows “masculine” attributes such as independence, assertiveness, competitiveness or even anger.  

References 

1. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/09/female-lawyers-sexism-courtroom/565778/
2. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Yahoo-lawsuit-Marissa-Mayer-discrimination-men-9926263.php
3. The word "discriminate" has a negative connotation in Spanish.In English the word "discriminate" must be associated with the preposition "against" to give the same negative connotation. Otherwise, its meaning is "recognize a distinction;  differentiate " 
4. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/es/temas-de-salud/orientacion-sexual-y-genero/genero-e-identidad-de-genero/que-son-los-estereotipos-de-rol-de-genero>(spanish)
5. https://www.morganmckinley.ie/article/success-and-likability-women-workplace-heidi-howard-study
6. The word "likability" has no literal translation in Spanish. It refers to the ability to like another. In the Spanish language it is associated with "sympathy" (definition: Feeling, generally instinctive, of affection or inclination towards a person or towards his attitude or behavior, which causes to find his presence pleasant, to wish that things go well to him) 
7. Leanin.org is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 dedicated "to offering women the ongoing inspiration and support to help them achieve their goals”
8. “Bad feminist”, Roxanne Gay, 2014. A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation
   
    

---Español 

Buscando un equilibrio saludable 

"... Investigaciones en el campo de las Ciencias Sociales han demostrado que cuando las abogadas evidencian emociones como la indignación, la impaciencia o la ira, los miembros del jurado pueden verlas como estridentes, irracionales y desagradables. Las mismas emociones, cuando son expresadas por hombres, se interpretan como las apropiadas en relación a las circunstancias de un caso. Así que cuando entré al tribunal, asumí la imagen de una mujer que se vestía, hablaba y se comportaba de una manera tradicionalmente femenina y no amenazante". (1) 
 

"... Yahoo golpeada por demanda por discriminación de género contra hombres (...) Un ex empleado está demandando a Yahoo, alegando que la CEO Marissa Mayer y otros ejecutivos implementaron un sistema de revisión de empleados que condujo a un despido masivo ilegal de empleados hombres". (2)(3) 

Me gustaría comenzar este artículo referenciando dos experiencias actuales que afectaron a ambos géneros. Una de ellas tiene que ver con el sexismo en el ámbito de la ley y la otra con un caso de supuesta discriminación de género por parte de una Directora Ejecutiva. 

Es evidente que todavía no disponemos de un equilibrio saludable en términos de equidad de género, incluído el lugar de trabajo que es lo que nos preocupa en este blog. Es hora de que todos comencemos a asumir la responsabilidad de ser y hacer la cultura de cada lugar donde vivimos y trabajamos. Debemos participar activamente para que la equidad sea una realidad y trabajar juntos, hombres y mujeres, en este proceso.

No hay evidencia de que un sexo sea mejor que el otro para realizar las tareas asociadas con una determinada posición, pero existen roles estereotipados asociados con cada género, que nos condicionan a esperar ciertas conductas consideradas socialmente aceptables. Los sesgos de género entonces son válidos para todos. 

Cuando aplicamos estereotipos de género, no hablamos de una persona en su singularidad, aplicamos una visión que es a la vez general e impersonal. 

• Algunos de los rasgos utilizados para describir el estereotipo de la masculinidad son: independiente, no empático, no emocional, agresivo, insensible, competitivo, experimentado, fuerte, activo, seguro de sí mismo, recio y sexualmente agresivo. (4)
   
• Algunos de los rasgos que definen el estereotipo de la femineidad son: dependiente, emocional, empático, pasivo, sensible, tranquilo, débil, discreta, suave, sexualmente sumiso y complaciente (4)

¿Qué sucede en nuestras mentes cuando una mujer no cumple con lo que culturalmente se espera de ella?  

Según Sheryl Sandberg (directora operativa de Facebook y fundadora de Leanin.org) "... el éxito y la simpatía se correlacionan positivamente para los hombres y se correlacionan negativamente para las mujeres. Cuando un hombre tiene éxito, es apreciado tanto por hombres como por mujeres. Cuando una mujer tiene éxito, a la gente de ambos sexos le gusta menos." (5) (6) (7)

¿Es esto así?  

Sería muy enriquecedor recibir comentarios sobre este tema tanto de nuestros lectores masculinos como femeninos. Es probable que aprendamos que los prejuicios y la discriminación no se limitan a las mujeres. Pero lo que tenemos que reconocer es que el poder aún pesa más en un plato de la balanza, ya que es innegable que a lo largo de la historia las sociedades occidentales, eminentemente patriarcales, han ayudado a construir este desequilibrio de poder que nos afecta a todos por igual. 

Para tomar conciencia de cómo tendemos a reaccionar ante ciertos comportamientos, al menos debemos comenzar admitiendo la poderosa influencia de la cultura transmitida de generación en generación, que define (ergo limita) los roles aceptables para cada género.  

En 2018 tenemos la sensación de que hemos avanzado mucho en estos asuntos, pero en la práctica el progreso logrado no parece ser tan espectacular y lo que es peor, es difícil de medir. Dado que las percepciones de uno mismo y del otro pertenecen al ámbito de la subjetividad (no cuantificable), no haremos ningún avance sin apelar honestamente a nuestra autocrítica.

Este punto está muy bien ilustrado por la autora estadounidense Roxane Gay cuando afirma: "... Todas las personas juzgamos a los demás en alguna medida (...) Somos humanos.  Somos defectuosos.  La mayoría de la gente sencillamente está a merced de siglos de condicionamiento cultural. La mayoría de las personas son un poco racistas, pero no marchan en los mítines del Klan ni participan en la quema de cruces ni en el vandalismo de las mezquitas. Los mejores de nosotros intentamos, con diferentes niveles de éxito, superar ese condicionamiento cultural. " (8)

Es por esto que nuestra propuesta inicial es hacer un esfuerzo, tanto emocional como intelectual, para tomar conciencia de cómo nos juzgamos a nosotros mismos y a los demás.  Si queremos incorporar diversidad sin sesgos de género a las habilidades de líder, debemos comenzar prestando plena atención a lo que sucede cuando una mujer líder muestra atributos considerados "masculinos", como independencia, asertividad, competitividad o incluso enojo. 

Referencias 

1. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/09/female-lawyers-sexism-courtroom/565778/
2. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Yahoo-lawsuit-Marissa-Mayer-discrimination-men-9926263.php
3. La palabra "discriminar" tiene una connotación negativa en Español.En Inglés la palabra "discriminate" debe asociarse con la preposición "against" para lograr la misma connotación negativa. De otra forma, su significado es "recognize a distinction;  differentiate " (reconocer una diferencia, diferenciar). 
4. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/es/temas-de-salud/orientacion-sexual-y-genero/genero-e-identidad-de-genero/que-son-los-estereotipos-de-rol-de-genero (Español)
5. https://www.morganmckinley.ie/article/success-and-likability-women-workplace-heidi-howard-study
6. La palabra “likability” no tiene traducción literal en Español.
   Se refiere a la  capacidad de caerle bien a otro. En el idioma Español se asocia con “simpatía” (definición: Sentimiento, generalmente instintivo, de afecto o inclinación hacia una persona o hacia su actitud o comportamiento, que provoca encontrar agradable su presencia, desear que las cosas le salgan bien)
7. Leanin.org es una organización sin fines de lucro fundada en 2013 dedicada a "ofrecer a las mujeres la inspiración y el apoyo constantes para ayudarlas a alcanzar sus metas”
8. “Bad feminist”, Roxane Gay, 2014. Es una colección de ensayos sobre política, crítica y feminismo de una de las observadoras culturales jóvenes con mayor cantidad de seguidores de su generación