Where Are All The Women?!

I would not consider myself a huge feminist, but in recent years I have been becoming more and more aware of all the INJUSTICES that women have faced, and our innate disadvantage in this world, because we just grew up with it being normal and didn't really stop to think about it. Well now I'm stopping to think about it a lot these days because it's everywhere, and as of yesterday, I was royally pissed.

I started noticing a lot of this when I watched, or learned about, guys that I knew, my age and YOUNGER, with LESS EDUCATION than myself, were acquiring ridiculously prestigious jobs and pay. Some people get a lucky break, some of us underestimate networking, sure, but it has gotten to the point where there is just no way around it. Men will work with men, men respect men, men think men deserve more... the list goes on. It is actually insulting... I would go to lots of happy hours and networking events in New York City, and when the men drink with each other, they're talking business and making connections and offering positions... but men drinking with me (or other females) want to buy them drinks and ask about the weather in California.

Basically, I have watched men all around me get better jobs and more pay, for no real reason that I could see other than they were men. If a woman were in their position, she would be making significantly less, and/or having less perks and prestigious assignments. I've seen enough to know it's true.

What's everyone's excuse? "Women choose lesser-paying jobs" - well I'll call BS on that now. Sure the teaching industry is dominated by females, but that's not the industry I'm in. So I'm over that. So we come to the REAL point: "women don't know how to negotiate well"

Well la-dee-frickin-da. I do make the concession that women may actually not be as aggressive, concerted or experienced at negotiating. But do you know what happens when you find a woman that can? They will drop her like a bad habit. They're not about to negotiate with a woman who would do that. I'm ASSUMING because it makes her look "bossy" and like a "bitch", but whatever.

Howwww to putttttt thissss?

My BFF, her boyfriend and I all worked at the same company. Between the three of us we must have had close to a combined 15 years working for that place. We knew the ins and outs, we knew their tricks, where they spent their money, what their budgets were. As a matter of fact, my BFF even helped sign on some freelance consultants for the company, while she was still with them.

So imagine our surprise when they now want to hire her as a freelance consultant and they lowball her a good $75 AN HOUR from what they had offered to others. So she politely negotiates her terms, KNOWING what they spend on freelance and consultants. Do you know what happened next?

They didn't even bother negotiating. They didn't try to work on the price or explain their offer or make a counteroffer- nothing. They said thanks but no thanks.

So women CAN negotiate, but business don't WANT to negotiate with women.

My blood is still boiling a little bit.

FOR SHAME!