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 hard work, proving your worth, and leaning in, all while Chad says “I just kinda fell into becoming a creative director.” I can personally recall all of these instances and more in my 7 years experience as a designer.

Along with these painful anecdotes, statistically speaking, women in the creative workplace are still struggling for equal pay and representation. Women in creative fields continue to earn only 68% of what male creatives make. The majority of design students are women yet women make up only 29% of creative director positions. 70% of young female creatives are working in a 75% male dominated department.

But why is this happening?
A massive barrier for women is our rejected admittance into the coveted “boy’s club”.