It seems that often when women talk about the struggles they face in business, they are discussing issues they have had with men. But could it also be because the women aren’t supporting other women?
Whether they believe they are in an environment where they are finding it hard to succeed due to it being male-dominated, or because they believe that they are not being taken seriously because they are a woman, the issue always seems to come back to being about the power struggle between men and women.
But what if the issues run a lot deeper than we think? What if the blame lies as much with women as it does with men?
Think about it. It’s far too common for women to be unsupportive towards each other ¾ I am sure every female, both young and old, career starter or top office, can attest to that.
Women still have the reputation of being very competitive with one another and are often known to resent other women who are more successful. Studies have shown that as the number of females in management positions increases, so does the reporting of bullying and even job sabotage by other female employees, indicating clearly it is not only men who can make life difficult for women in business.
Now with that in mind you need to ask yourself, ‘If women aren’t being supportive of one another, then how can we expect men to be?’ Women understand each other in a way that men don’t, just like men understand each other in a way that women don’t … and if anything, this should make us want to work with each other rather than ever against each other.
How are men supposed to be supportive and fair towards a woman in business if they see other women tearing her down in order to get ahead. What’s to stop them from thinking, ‘Well hey if women are going to do that, then why shouldn’t I?’ And really, you can see why they come to that conclusion.
So maybe men aren’t actually the whole problem… or at least not the only problem. Maybe other women are as well. Maybe the change starts with us and the men will follow. Because how can we expect them to treat us with respect if we can’t treat each other that way?
Have you experienced a lack of support from other women? What advice would you give women who are now also experiencing it?
