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SOMETHING LIGHT
How Did She Do it?
assigned menial tasks that did not help me grow or challenge me intellectually, to discrediting my successes, and even giving credit to my incompetent male colleagues for ideas and initiatives I brought to the table. I had grown used to the unjust practice until that faithful day. Cindy and I had worked tirelessly on a proposal for a client. It took a lot of time and hard work. We were really proud of ourselves. Cindy was particularly excited for this. We presented it to the 'Female boss'. Soon after she reviewed the document, she called one of our male colleagues to her office with her door ajar, and her voice audible, she asked our male colleague “You helped Cindy work on this right?” without a second of hesitation, he responded “Yes ma”. Female Boss' response after this was what knocked me out. She screamed again in her usual condescending tone “I knew those girls could not come up with something like this”.
I was furious, but Cindy was more distraught. Her face turned red.
She stood up and calmly walked
into the store which was our
usual place of refuge when things got too tense at work. I walked right behind her. As soon as we entered the store, Cindy sat on the chair by the wall and buried her face into her hands. Her tears were silent and painful. I did not know what to say. Now, Cindy was in her late 30s. She had worked for our sexist female boss for over 10 years, spent her entire career at this desk, enduring this treatment.
I understand that she was from a different generation and had a calmer spirit than most people. But, her years of not speaking up had damaged her self-esteem and reduced her worth in the office. Cindy had a PhD; she was a first-class graduate of Economics. She had so much more potential, but her light just seemed to be dimmed by the sexist acts of our sexist female boss. In that moment, I saw myself in Cindy, I saw my future. I knew it was not what I wanted for myself. I crouched down beside her and wiped her tears and in a stern voice, I said “I'm going to tell that
woman my mind”. Cindy looked up and saw my face. She knew I was in one of those moods. She had seen me engage in email wars and office battles that I always won. So, she knew that I meant business. She held my hand and begged me not to say anything but I knew the time had come.
As soon as I walked out of the store, it was as if I was on fire. I walked straight into the Sexist Female Boss' office and calmly asked why she used that kind of condescending tone towards me and Cindy. She was shocked. I turned to Tola (our lying male colleague) and asked him when he made a contribution to the proposal and why he lied. He was dumbfounded, they both were. Then I said in a very calm but audible tone (audible enough for the entire extended office to hear) “With all due respect, Ma, that was a very sexist remark, which is rather disappointing coming from a woman of your status. This is not what this organization stands for and you need to put yourself in check”. Of course, she was rattled by this public altercation. She went on a rampage, involved other senior colleagues and did everything to get me more rattled. I stayed calm and did not utter another word after that; I had passed my message loud and clear. The entire debacle escalated into a query, followed by a session with the 'Disciplinary Committee' that gave me the opportunity to properly expose her sexist acts, backed up with evidence. This led to a letter of warning issued to the Female Boss. She hated my guts after this, as expected. Cindy also found the courage to find another job after that incident. She is now the head of the same department in another institution, while I moved to another department with a boss that values equal opportunity. The Sexist female boss is still heading that function, but has since refused to have a woman on her team. Although, I hear she is now very careful with the way she talks around women. I strongly believe she will still meet her nemesis someday. I was just the introduction.
Finding Her Self- Worth and Con- fidence
The Corporate Millennial Heroine: I had been working in the team for a little over a year now. It had been a rather disappointing experience. I had somehow gotten used to the sexist comments and gender bias imposed by my sexist female boss. From being side-lined on projects, to being
PAGE 12 INSIDE ACCESS | JULY 2020 2ND EDITION