The Only Way to the Top?

Yesterday was March the 8th, International Woman’s Day. I was my home from having dinner with a friend when I came across a police car with flashing lights blocking off a busy street in Kreuzberg, where I live. An accident was my first thought, until I spotted a riot van, and group of 20 women staging a demonstration, surrounded by an even smaller bunch of, mostly male, onlookers. I, too, thought I would stop and have a look to see what exactly they were protesting against, although assuming it would be quite obvious, given it was Woman’s Day and their banners all had the female symbol painted on them.

Where's the power struggle?

Stepping closer, however, I noticed the slogan in big letters across the main fabric banner, which said: “Wir geben die Macht nicht auf!” which translates as “we won’t give up power.” This I didn’t quite understand -- “we want more power” would have made more sense, surely? Is there a power struggle at the top that I am not aware of?

Germany does have a female chancellor and good equal opportunity initiatives in the realm of business, but as far as I understand, the problems in equality are often glossed over by reports in the media that show rising figures of women in employment, rather than illustrating the difference in salaries between men and woman working in the same jobs. In Germany, women still earn 22 percent less than their male counterparts in the same positions.

Women struggle to be themselves in business

Woman in high level management positions are also harder to find and when women do reach the top, it is usually through major sacrifices. I am not just talking about sacrifices in their family and home lives, but rather sacrifices in their very "being," to put it philosophically.

A prime example of this is a newspaper article I read recently about women taking the male hormone testosterone in order to be able to be more aggressive and "manly" in the workplace to be able to keep hold of their positions of power.

One woman admitted that she knew the drug was having harmful physical side effects, but stated it was the only way she could receive the desired recognition she felt she needed to survive in a male working environment.

Stop trying to be one of the boys

Hegel, one of the founding fathers of social theory, states that all desires are based on a desire for recognition, and it is only through this experience of recognition that we can become socially viable human beings. However, in the above case and many others, this recognition is based on being "manly" or having "masculine traits." The norm is thus set by homogeneity, excluding not just for women, but also for anyone who falls outside the "manly" category.

Until we can find a formula for success in business which is non-gender specific, women should not be concerned with "giving up power," but pointing out that power can achieved through embracing the differences between men and women as positive attributes and a viable alternative to the current ideal.