We are still
ambivalent
about women
and power.
Women are
more apt to
be deemed
‘unlikable’
if they are
seen as
powerful or
ambitious—
traits seen as
management
material
in men.
women in her book Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New
Research That’s Rewriting the Story (see essay, page 110). Saini argues that male
scientists used their studies and influence to amplify their own attitudes about
gender (and racial) inequality. The results of their work “hardened sexism into
something that couldn’t even be challenged.” And to make sure that women
didn’t have the chance to prove the science wrong, they were denied the ability
to flex their intellect or fully develop their talents.
Much of the research that tagged women as the weaker sex was flawed or
biased. A body of work counters that early science, showing that women pos-
sess intellectual capabilities equal to their male counterparts. While men have
greater physical strength and a height and weight advantage, studies show that
women have a distinct edge when it comes to resilience and long-term survival.
So why do men hold more power than women today? Why does gender
inequality persist? The explanation is so often: It’s just the way it’s always been.
That’s simply not good enough. And that justification should crumble in the face
of evidence showing that places with policies hampering or oppressing women
lose ground economically.
Take Asia as an example. Slightly more than half of the region’s women work,
and those women are paid less than men. Gender norms, barriers to education,
and entrenched cultural forces could maintain that status quo, but analysts warn
that countries impeding the advancement of women will pay a steep price. The
consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that the regional economy
would gain as much as $4.5 trillion in annual GDP by 2025 if women were no
longer sidelined in the Asian workforce.
Every country on the planet should take notice. Those T-shirts and posters that
read “The future is female” should warn instead “The future better be female!”
But the obstacles to power are deeply ingrained and aren’t easily overcome.
You can write laws telling people what they can and cannot do, but you cannot
legislate their feelings about themselves or others. We are still ambivalent about
women and power. Studies suggest that women are more apt to be deemed “unlik-
able” or “untrustworthy” if they are perceived to be powerful, brash, or openly
ambitious—traits that, by the way, are seen as management material in men.
New York University professor Madeline E. Heilman conducted a series of
studies to investigate the reaction to successful women in jobs traditionally held
by men. In one experiment she asked undergraduates to review nearly identical
profiles for employees holding the position of assistant vice president for sales in
an aircraft company. One of the employees was named “James.” The other was
named “Andrea.” They were in the top 5 percent in employee performance reviews
and described as “stellar performers” or “rising stars.” Their profiles provided no
background on their personality or character. The students rated “Andrea” as
more disagreeable and uncivil than “James,” who got more glowing responses.
That means the well-worn gender tropes don’t just describe how men and
women allegedly behave, Heilman found, they also set a template for what
behavior is suitable, and that behavior is “directly related to the attributes that
are positively valued for each sex.” Women who are kind, caring, and gentle
are valued and rewarded socially. Women who are ambitious, strategic, or
direct—not so much.As a society,
we demonstrate
a degree of trepidation and surprise about women taking the reins of power,
because it’s still a novel concept. Women who become police chiefs and ship
captains and construction supervisors are not just hailed as mavericks. They are
also practically portrayed as unicorns. The greatest barrier that many women
have to overcome is experience. Again, studies find that men often are hired for
“potential,” while women with the same experience are deemed underqualified.
Our collective cultural narrative contributes to this bias. The phrase “women’s
work” is limiting and stereotypical—attached to softer domestic tasks thought