(TW: Objectification, Degrading) My experiences at work!
I work in a heavily male-dominated industry where I’m one of only three women in the entire company. At first, I thought my ideas and contributions would speak for themselves, but over time it became clear that many of my male colleagues saw me differently.
It started with the constant comments on my outfits, my body, and how I looked walking into meetings like I was there for their visual entertainment rather than my expertise. I’d catch them staring openly during presentations, whispering about my figure when they thought I couldn’t hear, or making “jokes” about me being the “office eye candy.” Promotions and projects often came with backhanded compliments that had nothing to do with my work and everything to do with how I presented myself. Even in professional settings, conversations would veer into personal territory that made me feel reduced to an object rather than a colleague and I never once complained about it!
Ironically all of the endless attention and “eyes on me” makes me feel so happy in the place I work! Knowing I’m one of only three girls surely means I must be doing something right? It just annoys me that I see so many girls complaining about equality and objectification in the work place….. Maybe if you cared less about trying to overpower men and focused on looking sexy for work then you’d gain promotions and lots of praise! I mean after all our bodies are our biggest selling point?
I’d love to hear from the amazing men here and women about their experiences within the work place!