For thousands of years, women have been oppressed. For thousands of years, women have carried the burdens of stereotypes and unrealistic expectations.
As a woman, I’ve witnessed firsthand the anger and injustice felt by my fellow women as they fight tooth and nail for things that men are simply handed. They’ve been denied promotions and raises. They’ve been passed over for jobs that they’re far more qualified for.
The simple fact is that men have created a system that caters to their needs and desires. The ambitions of women fall to the backburner in the face of misogyny.
The glass ceiling is a prime example of this. Even though women are “allowed” to have jobs and function as human beings outside the home, we cannot seem to reach the same levels of recognition and appreciation as men in the workplace.
Women in the media, specifically the music industry, have gone to lengths to push back against the ideas that women aren’t cut out for the hustle and grind of corporate life.
“The Man” by Taylor Swift details the anger and hopelessness that many women feel when it comes to their ascent through their careers. It explains how no matter how hard we work or how much we sacrifice, men will always win out simply because it’s a man’s world.
“They’d say I hustled, put in the work. They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve.” Of all the inspiring and frustrating lyrics, these are the most relevant. We try and try and try, often harder than our male counterparts, just to “fail.”
It’s not our failure, either. It’s the failure of society that was controlled and created by men. These systems were literally meant to hold us back and most men don’t even acknowledge that.
They claim that the promotion went to who was more qualified or claim that everyone is getting paid equivalent to their experience and expertise. When the new male entry-level employee is getting paid the same as his female manager, that logic is faulty. That logic is biased and outdated. It is not a matter of shifting payment practices to align with the new minimum wage, because the manager isn’t getting a raise in conjunction.
“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, though written and sung by a man, is surprisingly empowering for women.
The song features many inventions throughout centuries, but it punctuates those with the lyrics, “this is a man’s world, this is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” The entire song conveys the idea that while these inventions are important, they wouldn’t be possible without the women that supported and raised the men who invented them.
These two songs, over 50 years apart, both seek to articulate the unfair nature of the work force. Women often do more, yet they are compensated less, promoted less, and praised less. The songs are meant to uplift women and inspire them to get angry and use that anger to push for change.
As with all revolutions and protests, it takes an army to be heard. It will take every woman to revolt against this unfair and unbalanced existence. The wage gap exists. The glass ceiling exists. Both are not simply hurdles you have to find the strength to jump over. They are brick walls 10 feet deep, and we’re equipped with hand shovels.
- Shatter the Glass Ceiling – by Caroline Bledsoe - April 6, 2024