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- photo: AP/Reuters
Archive | Historical Interest: Helen’s Place LLC
May 1, 2021:
Overcome by the events of the COVID-19 pandemic and a change of administrations, this news article was updated by a more recent article, “What’s Threatening Women in the Workforce.”
Helen’s Place LLC January 15, 2019:
As women gain power in Congress, the “Anti-#Me Too” movement is increasing momentum, as more GOP members get annoyed by the new liberal leaning, “uppity” young women in the House.
According to Bloomberg, some conservative men are avoiding women at all cost out of fear of being accused of sexual misconduct and other reasons — a term they are calling the “Pence Effect.”
But there are still stronger indicators that male groups are rallying behind women and continuing to support them; a trend that is unlikely to change among democratic voters, while at the same time the GOP is working to undermine the progress women have made.
According to the Pew Research Center, only 18% of the Republicans in congress believe that women will do a better job.
Helen’s Place LLC October 31, 2018:
On October 2, 2018, the Anti-#Me Too Movement was officially reenergized by President Trump and the Republican Party, as a strategy to rally the GOP base, in memory of Brett Kavanaugh’s perceived mistreatment during his appointment hearing to the Supreme court, the 2018 midterm elections, and possibly the 2020 Presidential election — if it doesn’t fizzle out by then.
At the rally, President Trump referred to #Me Too as a liberal conspiracy to bring men down, part of a liberal, angry mob, and against law and order.
The president portrayed the GOP as the party to protect men’s rights against women who might bring them down with false charges, and ruin their lives. After the rally, “Remember Kavanaugh” became a new rallying cry for the GOP.
Some women, who prior to this event, felt empowered by the #Me Too Movement to speak out, started saying – “why bother,” and “it’s not worth it” [to report sexual misconduct], after Christine Blasey Ford was marginalized and ridiculed by the President.
Others were energized to speak out and protest louder. It appears that the more women protest, the more many Republicans lash out against the real or imagined threat of a Democratic party out to destroy the male dominated hierarchy, the family, traditional values, the constitution and democracy – the established order.
How gender based politics plays out in the U.S. workforce in the near future and long term remains to be seen. Will gender inequality increase? Will fewer women come forward in the future to report sexual misconduct?
Probably not, because society has progressed too far, and women have made too many advances toward equality in the workplace, it’s highly unlikely that women will lose all of what’s been gained, but the ground may feel uneven for awhile.
For example we may see fewer laws enacted like the law going into effect in California that requires publicly traded companies in California to have at least one female on their board of directors by the end of 2018, and more after 2021.
But the good news for gender equality is that the unemployment rate is at an all-time low, meaning that workers, including women, are more valuable to employers.
Companies trying to retain good employees, will have to listen to their employees and respond more effectively. Secondly, there is momentum in the #Me Too Movement to educate women about how to come forward and report sexual misconduct when it happens, where there is a better chance to collect hard evidence.
Lastly, many HR departments already have trained personnel and company policies in place to prevent sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace.
In this time of political divide, women more than ever, will evaluate their working conditions, and their options.
Some will decide to quit when they are fed-up with working in misogynistic cultures, where they feel unfairly treated. Therefore, we are likely to see more women start new businesses and form “women-owned” companies, as well as take freelance jobs where they can control their work environment.
Women may stop fighting to obtain equal rights and treatment from men, and just claim independence for themselves, rather than work in environments where they feel like second-class citizens.
There are also hopeful indicators that women and men will get savvier against political gender manipulation in the future, and resist the extreme left or right wing rhetoric by turning the channel.
We are also able to find comic relief on late night TV embracing gender neutrality and the absurdity of being played against each other, and demonstrating that sometimes it’s better to laugh in defiance, than to cry.
Then there’s Twitter; In a recent story where a conservative mother tweeted with a #him too – that her son wasn’t safe to go on dates alone with a woman anymore, her son replied with humor, and support for the women’s movement.
If you believe that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, at the present time women are pulling society toward the light, while aging male egos conspire to drive us off the cliff.
It’s a turbulent time, but after the dust settles from the 2018 midterms and future elections, more progressive people of both sexes, in both parties and the workforce, may save the American culture, because their ideas and votes win out.
Related audio/video recording:
YouTube, Fox News, October 5, 2018, “McConnell: Mob was not able to intimidate the Senate”
Other related article you may be interested in:
Helen’s Place LLC, May 1, 2021 “What’s Threatening Women In the Workforce?
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