by Shawna Blake

Created on: August 17, 2008

"Sexual harassment in this department will not be tolerated...However, it will be graded." This phrase was found on a small plaque at a gift store at the mall. My first thought was not that it was vulgar or not funny. My first thought, surprisingly was that it was quite perfect for my department. I don't mean that in a bad way, the group of people that I work with are wonderful people who like to have fun, and yes, sometimes the language gets a bit colorful. But, there is a time for funny, and there is a time when one needs to be aware when it is inappropriate. This, you see, is a very fine line, and there are some people that are not only aware when the line should not be crossed, but are not even aware that there is a line. Sexism in the workplace is like anything else; it exists, and it will never go away. It is how individuals deal with it that makes the difference.

For hundreds of years, sexism has been handled by men. By this, I mean that the men of the world have been the sexist people, who take advantage of women in multiple ways. But, has it really? Men are not the only ones who use sexual undertones, connotations, remarks, et cetera. Women do it also, and in many cases women do it worse than men do! Actually, sexual harassment, I think is quite different than sexism. With sexism it suggests the overall assumption that someone lacks something, or possesses more of something based solely on their gender. It's thoughts like 'Hillary Clinton can not be the President because she is a woman', or a conclusion that any woman who is employed at a job can be the bearer of baked goods because all women bake. Unfortunately, it is also hard for women to get ahead in the workplace because of their gender. Men often think it's a man's world and a woman can not do a job like a man.

In some cases, a woman will be refused a position because she is too attractive, and will be thought of as a distraction. This is quite sad, because that is quite a petty thought. Other times, a group of men who may be in great positions may not want a woman tagging along, after all, many of the places they do business with are too laced with male professionals. These are serious problems paguing America today, and there needs to be some rectification on that front. If the men are making business deals in dark nightclubs, where scantily clad ladies are abound, how many women would be comfortable in that type of situation? Many women would, but those women might lack the necessary skills that the job requires. It is as if the chances of a woman doing the same job as a man are diminished by one thing after another.

Also, women are not as strong physically as men are, something that can not be changed in any way. Thus, women are always overlooked in any type of jobs where any type of body strength is required. At times, the opposite happens; a woman who is physically strong will be denied because a man might be intimidated by her. It's a catch-22 for many women in the workplace, and often for some men, though that is less frequent.

Most often, women are denied access into certain jobs because of their emotions. Many men have made statements to me alone about how emotional women are and how men are just not like that. A disagreement between two men lasts moments whereas one between women tends to linger, casting a haze or their judgment. Women also are child bearers, making it difficult to be able to depend on them through entire years of service. Sexism stems from the fact that we are human beings and have thoughts, emotions, preferences, and plans. It will never change, and it will never completely cease. We just must be strong enough to overlook it sometimes.

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