Gender Equality In Business: We've Come a Long Way, But We Still

The state of gender equality has vastly improved in the past few
decades. Career, education and business opportunities have
really opened up for women, and we are seeing successful females
in many different situations. But have we truly reached
equality? Even with all the improvements made, the answer is
still, unfortunately, "no."

For every hard-working female executive, there is a working
mother who has been passed over for a promotion. For every
respected female professor, there is an educated woman somewhere
who's knowledge is not being taken seriously. The people who
discriminate against these women may not even be conscious of
the fact that they are doing it. Gender bias is deeply rooted in
our collective psyche, but that is no excuse. We must constantly
remind ourselves to be aware of how we are perceiving and
treating others.

Remember the recent furor over Jane Swift, the pregnant governor
of Massachusetts? Pages and pages of newsprint were devoted to
the debate on whether or not she could be an effective mother
and still run the state. This would never have happened to
a man, not even a single father.

It is amazing to me that, in this new millennium, such basic
gender stereotypes are being perpetuated. Are gender roles so
stamped into our brains that we can't conceive of the fact that a
woman can successfully raise a family while maintaining a high
profile career? Mrs. Swift is probably perfectly capable of
handling both jobs, or at least of delegating responsibility so
that everything is taken care of. Sure she'll be busy, but lots
of very busy men manage to make things work every day without
ever having their qualifications questioned.

As people working in small home-businesses, we can help to make
change in these areas. By stepping out of the brick and mortar
business world we have already effectively said no to corporate
politics. Already, far more women are having success with online
and home businesses than with regular corporations. Just look at
Meg Whitman of Ebay and Abbie Drew of DEMC. Although Meg came
into Ebay later in the game, she has made it the most successful
online retail auction business in the world. Abbie Drew started
from scratch, and now DEMC, the Internet's very first business
ezine, provides advertising and expert small business advice for
hundreds of thousands of people.

This is all great, but why not take it a step further? Take a
stand for gender rights and commit to treating men and women with
absolute equality in all your business dealings. When making a
decision to use someone's services or ask for someone's advice be
open minded. Remember, it's your colleague's track-record,
qualifications and personality that make them the great
businessperson they are, not their gender.

About the Author

Alvin Apple helps everyday people start businesses they will
enjoy. Then he teaches them how to succeed. Read all his
helpful strategies, including his latest article, "How to Write
the Perfect Classified Ad" at http://AlvinApple.com. Reach Alvin
at 801-328-9006 or alvin@drnunley.com.