Challenges and Underrepresentation of Businesswomen in America

Businesswomen in America face unique challenges that businessmen in the same position do not experience. They are told that they are “too soft” or “not manly enough” for leadership positions in the industry, despite equivalent qualifications. The main problem is that business women in leadership positions are under represented in today’s mass media. In a day where the path to equality is of great importance, businesswomen still endure a lack of respect and understanding inside and outside of the workplace, which consequentially keeps many intelligent and influential women from having their voices heard. Personally, becoming a leader in business is important; therefore this topic is of great importance. In order to understand why there are

major inequities, it is essential that we discuss the larger obstacle that is the media, then we may have a real shot at creating positive change. The majority of mass media in America says that businesswomen need to act more like businessmen to be effective and powerful in her position.
In an article titled “How to Report to a Woman if you’re a Man”, author Anna Redmond writes to men who may have a general disregard towards the cultural problems with women supervisors in American offices.

In an effort to broaden the targeted audience, Redmond uses an easy to understand and straightforward approach in her writing style so not just well-read people chose to read it. The tone she uses in her writing isn’t harsh or disparaging towards men, but humble and frank. Harvard graduate and co-founder of a website entitled “Hippo Reads”, Redmond lays out examples to illustrate that women are treated differently and unfairly in business, and provides examples on how men can address the

issue.
A businesswoman herself, Redmond states that men who have women supervisors do not perform as well as those who are supervised by men.

Coming from a business background, she is in a unique position in terms of her perspective. By writing this article, it is implied that her exigence is first hand experience with workplace disparity as a result of being a woman in a leadership role. Her perspective that she gives to men is one that doesn’t use harsh tone or guilt them into feeling bad, it is gentle, potentially too gentle. Men who are influenced by this injustice, whether they are aware or not, need more than kind words and leniency to sway them in a different direction. By writing “So if treating a female boss exactly like a male boss isn’t in the cards, maybe simply thinking twice before talking over her in a meeting will be a good first step.” Redmond doesn’t display a sense of dominance that needs to be shown by women, she instead reinforces the stereotype for men to walk all over women. If men who truly want to end workplace discrimination are reading this article, then her argument and tone may be effective, but I suspect that is not the case the majority of the time. The type of men who are reading the article “How to Report to a Woman if you’re a Man” are not necessarily liberal readers with open minds. The title has a negative connotation towards reporting to a woman, as if it’s a very difficult thing to do. Her lack of a strong tone does not convince most men that

a strong and impactful change is needed, her goal is subtle.
To women, an unintended audience, this article has pros and cons. Some women may see this article as offensive for not taking a strong enough stand. It seems as though a general theme in the media is women are not as assertive or aggressive as men, and Redmond’s article affirms that. A small push like this article may not be enough to make men change their entire way of thinking, a forceful stand is what is needed to make a change. Redmond writes, “Maybe the answer isn’t teaching woman to imitate men-- it’s in teaching men to sit back and enjoy the benefits of having a female boss.” Redmond makes the argument that treating businesswomen without the same respect that is given to businessmen isn’t wrong, men will be men. On the contrary, some may argue that big pushes for inequality is ineffective and too unrealistic. Only small efforts can integrate their way into society smoothly. If this is the case, there needs to be a lot more articles like this one, and they would need a larger audience than entrepreneur.com can offer.
In an advertisement published by Glamour Magazine, a fashion model is depicted wearing a business suit, and holding a briefcase that is designed to look like the traditional men’s work attire. In the image is a young model who has blonde hair, a typical model physique, and a mysterious look on her face. The deep red color of the suit she is wearing contrasts with the white background, which results in a manly appearance. Overall, the appeal of the ad is sleek, modern, and professional. Near the top of the page, “Man up, Ladies!” is written in large and bold text. Glamour magazine, which is predominantly read by young women just about to begin to shape their careers, has great influence on their readers. The sole purpose of their magazine is to promote trends, and by publishing this ad, they objectify masculine persona and turn it into a commodity.
The ad commodifies and sells the idea of masculinity to women, and implies that you need to be manly, but not too manly to be respected in a business career. Women viewing this ad may get the impression that they need to look this way to be successful in the business industry, at least in terms of Glamour Magazine’s standards. The way a woman presents herself in the business world may be an important reality, but this style is implying that women cannot be respected in the office for what they truly are, unless they adopt stereotypical masculine traits. Just below the large text at the top of the page it says in smaller print, “That whole menswear separates look is so hot right now. (Suits, layers, plaids, you name it.) We’d promote you instantly!” Glamour is saying they would promote this woman because she looks masculine, in other words stating that women are incapable or much less likely than men to receive promotions or awards in the office. Women wear high fashion, manly suits to work very infrequently, which means this ad has a large target audience, and is able to sell this look to every person viewing the image, consciously or subconsciously. This ad is effective because everyone wants to be rewarded for good behavior, they may change their dressing habits whether they know it or not.
This advertisement also creates a double standard, businesswomen need to have masculine traits, but still maintain their femininity. If women were to take on masculine traits fully, they would be treated differently, so the struggle for women is to find good middle grounds. Media in American culture does this frequently. A certain identity is desired, in this case masculinity, and is reinvented and sold to people who do not identify with that in order to reap the benefits it may hold. This is a common trend in media, and one that is problematic for so many races, ethnicities, and cultures. This ad featured in Glamour Magazine doesn’t live up to the social responsibility of promoting equality in professional environments. The ad further engrains the idea that businessmen do better than businesswomen.
One of the few positive messages about businesswomen that I have encountered is from the show Scandal featured on ABC and created by Shonda Rhimes, a very accomplished woman in her industry. Scandal is a romance and drama show that takes place in Washington, DC and commonly mirrors current events. The main character is Olivia Pope, a strong, independent black woman who embodies the idea of power. The eloquence of the way she speaks gives many women who watch the show a strong role model, and probably a feeling of jealousy. The subject of the show revolves around the complicated world of politics and business power, and as a result, those who watch develop a greater appreciation for the positions.
The particular episode I watched was called “The Other Woman” in which Olivia helps to prevent word of a famous pastor’s affair from surfacing. In the episode, Olivia displayed great power in her analytical an problem solving skills. Another valuable strength viewers look up to is her amazing speaking abilities. She says complex and thoughtful sentences with extreme passion and great speaking abilities in a heartbeat. In this episode, she told her co-worker, “You want answers, fine, you’ll get them. But you have to trust me when I tell you it’s in your own best interest that you don’t have every piece of the puzzle right now. If you change your mind about sleep, pillows are in the closet.”, and said it all in four seconds flat. Olivia Pope exudes confidence, and is a fearless leader and role model for every person watching Scandal. For the five seasons Scandal has been on TV, stereotypes about not just women, but women of color have been challenged from every angle, and at the same time it gives a powerful influence for every woman to look up to. Shonda Rhimes doesn’t just stop there, she portrays Pope to be even stronger than the President of the United States at points. It is this kind of show that reaffirms the strength women have within them, and it can limit the number of women sitting in their offices doubting their abilities to be something great. Even if women don’t see this influence in real life, we know they exist, and we can aspire to be her.
Media doesn’t come outright and say, businesswomen are weak in comparison to businessmen, but they do imply it, and rarely do they ever refute it. Media has come along way in portraying women in leadership roles, but it still does not ignore the negative connotations that are associated with them. The media chooses to ignore the ways in which women leaders excel in comparison to men, with a few exceptions. I choose to ignore the negative connotations of being a businesswoman in a society of sexism and focus my performance in comparison to every other business leader, not women like me.