Women supporting each other is needed now more than ever. The recent #MeToo movement gained traction amongst women with shared experiences of long-term, common issues and this momentum should be carried into the workplace as well!
Unlike their male counterparts, women need to demand respect and recognition in the workplace; they need to support one another in order to drive change.
In 2020, Omnicell’s Chief People Officer, Christine Mellon's article “Supporting Fellow Women in The Workplace” was published in Forbes magazine. In the article, she explored the reality of the double standards and often male-dominated workplaces that women face on a regular basis. One example that she shared was her own personal experience in which she called out a male coworker for repeating the same point that her female coworker had already made without giving her credit for her idea.
Her article also tackled the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in exacerbating existing gender inequalities. Many women and girls have been forced to revert to more “traditional roles” as caregivers within their households. The stress placed on women from having to shoulder more of the burden at home may carry over into the workplace.
Mellon came up with four methods needed to create more support in the workplace for women that are particularly salient during a pandemic, where many jobs are still virtual and social support is harder to find.
First, it is critical to have an outlet for women to not only support each other to gain more leadership roles but to advocate for themselves as well.
The second is for women to pay attention to workplace interactions and call others out when they themselves or other women are being disrespected.
Third, it is important to create meaningful relationships with other women in the workplace by sharing their own experiences.
Lastly, it is important to not compete with women in a way which would bring them down. In a workplace where women are finally starting to get accepted, it is critical to make space for all women to succeed.