Article on the limits of women's professional progress

Read the full article, "How the 'Snow-Woman Effect' Slows Women's Progress" by Mary Ann Masonat http://www.linkedin.com/news
From the article:
Women with children face additional problems in the workplace. They may have an especially difficult time participating in the job-related social networking that is often required to advance. In academe the socializing is not so likely to be sports talk and all-night boozing, but mothers may have to leave meetings that do not end by 5 p.m. in order to pick up children. Or they may be unable to attend job talks, receptions, or search-committee dinners because of child-care commitments.

It is usually an accumulation of small and large incidents that marginalize female administrators. I think of this as the "snow-woman effect." The layers of missed opportunities, family obligations, and small and large slights build up over the years, slowing their career progress compared with men.


What of the implications for frum women who usually have childcare responsibilities for far more years than their secular counterparts?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Very true.

Even frum men may experience the effect if they have large families and can't commit as much time to the job as other men.
Ariella's blog said…
I agree, Tesyaa. I'm wondering about choosing the sheitel head (sans sheitel) as your signature picture. You're not a sheitel macher, are you?
Anonymous said…
Just a joke. I thought it was humorous, and my daughter encouraged my silliness in making it my avatar.

It kind of looks like it's deep in thought. But maybe it's a distraction and I should remove it?

I've always worked in corporate jobs, except when I was a SAHM. I wonder if wearing a head covering, even a sheitel, impedes progress in certain workplaces?
Ariella's blog said…
From my experience, if you wear a wig -- even a cheap one without all the bells and whistles to look natural -- it would be assumed that your style your hair that way by anyone other than those in the know about frum women covering their hair.
My first wigs were quite different from my hair, but the people I worked with before and after my wedding just assumed I changed my hairstyle (and shade, as well). But wearing hats -- even unobtrusive ones -- does get noticed. One student commented on my wearing hats in his review at the end of the semester.
Ariella's blog said…
I also posted a link to the article on the Project Ezra LinkedIn Group. Here's the responses from Rachel Stern:

Actually, I think that Frum women have an edge over their secular counterparts, multiple children-raising responsibilities notwithstanding. The article describes the "narrow band of appropriate behavior" that career women are "allowed" to exihibit and still be accepted and taken seriously in their careers. The behavior that is unacceptable is behavior that is ALSO deemed unacceptable in women in the frum community. Thus, we have already learned how to behave and thus have that edge over our secular counterparts.

As for the concerns raised by Marty -- this is a competely separate topic and one which the frum community alone needs to address. When frum communities are located in highly desirable suburbs, with costly homes, high taxes, then double incomes are to be expected. However, in the frum community this is exacerbated by high Yeshiva tuitions, costly Kosher foods, need for household help as a result of the women not working in the home. It is further worsened by the excessive conspicuous consumption that characterizes our communities, and puts undue pressures on those families that simply cannot keep up with the Scwartzes.

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