A woman boss may be bearing the crossness of male resistance, the acerbity of
snide remarks, demeaning presuppositions over the role of her `feminine assets'
in her trek upwards, not to speak of the underestimation of her productivity in
`high-pressure' jobs.
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Should these essentially mean an undeniable exoneration for her?
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The dilemma on a woman's professional superiority starts with the male
embarrassment or resentment in acknowledging it. Often, a woman's experiences
as a `boss' are more of her own effort to come to terms with an `unconventional
authority' bestowed upon her i.e. `conventional womanhood'.
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She may have been brought up with the traditionally exalted connotations of
`womanhood', but the harsh reality could as well be that this high-sounding
`womanhood' might entail womanly escapism' at times. It is true that in the
career snakes-and-ladders, caliber overwhelms gender-bias at a stage, but it is
the run-up to the vindication of this caliber, which is fraught with
contradictions.
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Respect for women is generally ingrained in our social etiquette. Girls grow up
taking it for granted. This expectation grows stronger with time and position.
So if a woman has chosen to command a certain position for herself, she cannot
conveniently choose to ignore the fact that criticism, objections, backbiting,
manipulations, conspiracy, jealousy or humiliation are all part of the deal.
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These apply equally to both sexes. However, unflinching expectation of a
certain kind of soft behavior is so deep-rooted that the slightest draught of
adverse response is seen by women as a menacing blow to their `womanhood'.
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Notably, the dilemma lies within and may often be self-invented rather than
purely sexist. A woman needs to accept limitations at the same time
capitalizing on the strengths. It needs to be accepted that women have
themselves been responsible, in part, for being tagged with `softer jobs'.
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How?
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Women have been seen to perpetuate the culture of using their `womanly
priorities' as a trump card when it comes to bagging praise for their work on
both the professional and domestic fronts, and as a ticket to back out of
high-pressure or importunate situations.
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The dilemma now is, which of the two - `womanly priorities' or `professional
commitments' - is more important for them. Equality at the workplace calls for
conquest of feminine emotional frailty. Putting both genders on par entails
development of the same survival instincts, because real merit necessarily
commands respect and recognition, irrespective of the gender.
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It is not always that a woman necessarily starts with a prejudice, and the
world is out to underestimate, exploit or harm their `womanhood'. Market
situations too serve as a deciding factor most of the times.
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