Gender Bias

I was recently invited to a forum to address professional gender inequities.

I’m a senior female professional who came up in male-dominated industries.

In my career, spanning over 30 years, I have never personally experienced gender bias (caveat in first comment). My background is IT and I worked mostly in the finance sector.

I don’t speak at women’s events, and I don’t advocate affirmative action.

It’s not because I don’t support women. It’s because I am either blessed or blighted with gender blindness.

I find it ridiculous that gender might be considered when hiring, promoting or reviewing salary.

Absurd!

If I were overlooked for appointment, promotion or pay raise, there’s that other issue that would rear its ugly head.

It’s called Imposter Syndrome, and while anyone can suffer from it, it’s most common in professional women.

So if I missed out, I would doubt my worthiness, not assume gender was at play.

I advocate that the best person be hired for any job. If that means the gender balance is out, so be it.

I would hate to be suspected of being a “gender hire” rather than a merit hire. So we don’t do this in my business.

An unpopular position perhaps, but it makes sense to me.