Is Leadership Associated With Masculinity
posted by Rachel Ruff | September 20, 2022 | In Arts and CultureAs women have started to rise into more leadership roles, are they still being held back by the constraints of masculinity in the workplace?
According to the World Economic Forums 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, women’s share of senior and leadership roles has seen a steady global increase over the past five years, from 2017 to 2022. Gender roles are constantly challenged in the workplace, and the past few decades have resulted with many breakthroughs.
For the first time ever, more than two women competed in the presidential primary process of the same major party: six women formally declared their candidacy for president in 2019. In addition, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Ca.) was elected the vice president in 2020, making history as the first woman and woman of color (Black and South Asian) to hold the position.
The accomplishments of these women serve as inspiration to most women in leadership, such as Fayetteville State University senior Benaya Bartlett, who stated: “I am privileged enough to work in an environment where women are in high leadership roles. They are a source of inspiration for me because I can see myself in these positions one day.”
These are incredible accomplishments; however, concerns can be held about everything these trailblazing women faced to ascend to these positions. The question of masculinity encompasses not only the double standard when women are assertive but the assimilation of more feminine leadership skills in the workplace.
Bartlett said, “I believe that masculinity is associated with leadership but not as much as it once was. Society has become more inclusive in the way that allows women to be in the room and to change the face of leadership.”
According to communication/relationship coach and founder of the Academy of Social Competency Dr. Naira Velumyan, masculinity in the workplace is described as “strength, competitiveness, assertiveness, and risk-taking.” On the other hand, femininity is “flexibility, effective speaking skills, care for team members, attention to detail, maintaining brand, patience, and intuition.”
FSU senior Kamaria Marshall agreed with Dr. Velumyan about masculinity being attributed to strength, not femininity. She believes that femininity is tied to “[working] harder than your counterparts to prove your worth in a workplace and to be assertive and to speak up for equality even when it seems impossible.”
This comes in a generation with many female idols known for assertiveness, such as Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Malala Yousifazi, and Michelle Obama.
Marshall stated that she still feels left out by males in the workplace regarding salary and opportunities. Still, she believes that “leadership roles are being integrated more now because of women speaking up for their rights and feelings of needing more leadership roles and initiatives.”
Photo courtesy of Josh Berglund
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