Why is this not always the case? Being in a female dominated profession, supportive comments or recognition of achievements have not always been part of the journey. I've seen and experienced lack of support at times. Now, I'm not saying that I need someone to pat me on the back everyday. What I am asking is why more women aren't like my leadership mentor, who knew everything about the women she worked with because she asked and actually cared to know. She would send an e-mail to acknowledge co-workers who attained the designation of master knitter, became a grandparent, or passed a course they'd been taking outside of work. Imagine what a great world this would be if this were the norm -- mentoring each other rather than competing..
Inherently, academia is a profession with divas (this is not gender dependent) -- we all have our inner divas and some days they come out to play more than others <smile>. That aside, competition isn't the best approach to teamwork. Women in academia still earn less than men and fewer women are full professors. The myriad reasons for these inequities won't be listed here. I just wanted to put that out there. Again, working supportively will help us all and those who follow us.
So -- songs for this topic area -- again it will be a 'two for'. I want to share the fun Disney song I learned as a child -- one that started a number of conversations with my parents. The second one is from an amazing movie -- "Iron-Jawed Angels" about the struggle for women's voting rights in the US. If you haven't seen it, it is well worth viewing. The messages in the songs are somewhat similar, though the upbeat nature of the Disney tune almost hides the true nature of the lyrics (though Mrs. Banks was pumped after the meeting <smile>). Enjoy!
Sister Suffragette -- Glynis Johns
Come Along -- Titoyo
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