Are you literally f*cking kidding me?

[Soph0571]

Last edited Thu Jun 13, 2019, 05:04 PM - Edit history (4)

Let me tell you a tale of Patriarchy 101 in one of the most diverse cities in the world in 2019.

I am at the senior executive management meeting. I am, of course, the only woman in a sea of men. I am the Director of and run a division which requires an in-depth knowledge of industry specific requirements, a knowledge that I have built up over 20 years in very senior management roles within this particular landscape. None of the other Directors (including the Managing Director) have other than surface knowledge of the complexity of delivery in my division. My division is also the most profitable in the business by miles.

I was leading a discussion on a highly technical detail that was creating barriers to the successful delivery of one of my products and I was interrupted to be told that that was not possible. It did not make sense. The Managing Director then proceeded to go around the table asking every single man there did they not agree that it did not make sense. They all agreed with the Managing Director. One fellow director even suggested that he would ask one of my middle tier managers (another man) for clarification.

Are you literally fucking kidding me? Which is exactly what I said at the top of my voice. I explained very clearly that as the only expert in the room, how dare they suggest that because they did not understand something / did not like the answer that they felt they could imply I did not know what I was taking about. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

The Managing Director apologised. None of my colleagues who were so keen to diminish my expertise in what seemed to be a spontaneous male bonding session of bollocks did not.

Told ya…. A tale of Patriarchy 2019.

I want to punch a wall.
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EDIT: GMT 1635

A lot of the comments have asked about why I don't move on. I explained this is a comment I thought I would copy and paste here also....
I was working for a company that was hugely female centric as a Director for a number of years. This company was purchased last year and I was the only Director they asked to move across to lead a division, which is essentially my old company...with some part of their company reversed into it. I have committed to staying for a year to ensure the staff that where brought across from the old company are fully settled and leaving before this will risk their stability and I am not prepared to do that. I get head hunted regularly, as I am in a very niche and specialist market place, and am well know within it. I will make the move eventually, but it needs to be in a time and place where I know I have built and sustained my colleagues to be able to cope without me. I know that sounds big headed but it is not meant to be. They had a torrid time during the buy out and if I leave at the moment I fear the work I have put into seeing them settled will be for nought.

This is the first time in my career I have been the only woman in the executive team. To say it is somewhat different is an understatement!
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Update here https://www.democraticunderground.com/113912846