Stop telling women to fix sexist workplaces

I am tired. I am tired of seeing articles titled “How women should negotiate better”, “Tactics for women to be heard,” or “Women, lean in”. I am tired of Chad, that late-twenties white dude in the office, telling women to just try harder. I am tired of women being told to fix sexism.

A note on diversity
Before I begin, we need to recognize that women of color, women with disabilities, trans-women and women from marginalized groups are disproportionately negatively affected in the workplace. In an effort to speak inclusively about women it is important to note that different women have vastly different experiences. I am speaking from a place of personal experience as a white woman working in creative tech and I am not a representative for every designer or woman.

The reality
Sit down with a group of women in the creative industry and you are bound to hear stories of sexism. Some recounts are clearly criminal, like sexual harassment or discrimination. Some are more subtle, like being “accidentally” left off a meeting invitation where important decisions were made. There’s the familiar feeling of coming into work Monday morning to learn that Chad got assigned the portfolio-worthy project, while you’re stuck doing annotations, all because you “missed” the invitation for impromptu beers on Friday night. There’s the years of…