Is Gender Based Stereotyping Really Still Alive?
by Can we weather the storm of gender based stereotypes even when we are hit with a devastating economic downturn?
With Alistair Darling announcing the largest budget deficit since World War II, unemployment on the rise again and after the predicted rise of 2.5% economic growth earlier this year now actually being amended to a predicted shrink of 3.5%, the doom and gloom in the UK market is more than apparent. It is possibly now that we need some serious optimism to give consumers and businesses alike some encouragement.
The important point to remember is that in any storm there will always remain some trees that weather well, these trees are not normally the tallest and largest but the smaller and more flexible or the group. In tough economic climates the same is often true, after all – the larger they are; the harder they fall. Small Businesses are more likely to be flexible and change direction quickly to move to the direction of the airstream.
Once the devastation of a storm is over, the ground is left open and apparently becomes more fertile which encourages new flowers and trees to again grow; this is where we again start to see the forest again flourish until the area ends up stronger than the previous area.
Business minds should remember that today maybe merely about weathering the storm but the future is about flourishing.
The inspiration for this article came from the Research Group – Catalyst which apparently proved that Gender based stereotyping is undermining women’s capacity to lead and is therefore holding us back from leadership positions.
The stereotype seems to still be that ‘Women take care’ and men ‘Take Charge’.
Interesting thought! I was just beginning to become frustrated about how Women in Business are viewed. Everywhere you turn; there seems to be; Women in Business Groups, Women in Business Awards, Women in Business Articles and despite the fact that every month since the launch of RAW Entrepreneur I have written a feature discussing the same topic; it actually frustrates me. There is no ‘Men in Business’ topic so why are we singling out ourselves? Are we creating more challenges for ourselves by highlighting and segregating ourselves? However, after seeing this research perhaps this thought is still in the workplace and the Business World then there is no wonder that we feel hard done by!
As I attempt to launch a new business and face the challenges that I guess the rest of the world is experiencing with the economic downturn and nervous entrepreneurs and are now faced with various questions engulfing my head. How will I pay the mortgage? Is this the right time? Should I continue? Will I succeed? What’s the best thing to do?
I guess, today is about survival and whether you are a woman or a man in Business we should now be holding on for dear life and waiting for the sun to again rise
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