The Working Class Woman Movement
Working Class Woman Movement (WCWM) is where women from varies walks of life share their extraordinary stories.
Every episode uncovers the journeys behind the titles, businesses, careers and community work. We sit down with women who have dared to dream differently, overcome adversity, challenged the status quo and created meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
These aren't polished success stories, It's honest conversations about resilience, purpose, sacrifice, identity and the moments that changed everything.
WCWM celebrates the women who wake up each day determined to leave the world better than they found it.
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The Working Class Woman Movement
Segment Working Class Woman Movement: Celebrating International Women’s Day 8th Mar'24
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Welcome to the Working Class Women Movement. Using our voices to make sure they don't fall on deaf ears.
SPEAKER_01Reclaiming the activism of working class women. Increasing chances of gender equality and pain equality.
SPEAKER_02This podcast advocates for women's voices and equal rights in a working class environment.
SPEAKER_03Focusing on economic issues and claiming women's space in leadership. This is the working class women movement celebrating International Women's Day, the 8th of March of 2024. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own to-do list, Michelle Obama. The campaign theme for International Women's Day this year is inspire inclusion. When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. The statement is collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women, stands as a very imperative statement. I pose the question, can we collectively forge a more inclusive world when it's women themselves that create an environment that is that isn't inclusive? We speak in groups and passages, fearful of women in power. We say give a woman power and she might forget she was once at that position, seeing herself better than any other woman around her. This is the unspoken. We might fight patriarchal society, yet our setbacks are those who look like us. It is a woman in a workplace that will treat you badly. It is a woman that will undermine you. It is a woman that will question maternity and fail to acknowledge carers' leave. International Women's Day movement is looking at the outside instead of the inside. As the biases reside within the women's society, it is a change of attitude that changes the world. It's unity and solidarity within us that will make a difference. I've come across amazing women that have paved the way for me and will forever be grateful to them. In this journey as a working class woman, I have come across women who are not there to build but to run a dictatorship. Do as I say, and I have no room to listen to your opinions and views. I have worked with women that believed the only way I achieved some things in my working environment, I had to have slipped my way to that position. It is women that have reported me because they believe that my bust was distracting in a workplace. It is women that have created a hostile environment in which I had to work in. We say that men do not listen and tend to be dismissive. The real question is who is really listening? Who is really taking the campaign to forge an inclusive world for women? It is all fair and well when we have movements that advocate for equality. We talk of pay gaps amongst gender, yet there's pay gaps within women of color and non-women of color. This is beyond just being a woman. There are still a lot of biases being a woman of color too. Again, I ask, can we collectively forge a more inclusive world for women? It might take a hundred years for our daughters, might not even experience the world that is inclusive, a world that they don't have to fight for pay gaps, a world their voices are heard without prejudice. I say to you all, let's start within ourselves and then the patriarchal society. We need to do housekeeping and then the movement might just make a huge difference. When the treatment of women is not incredible, we must take action. So let's hear the thoughts of other women where they stand with the question posed. We are the working class women movement using our voices in hopes that we do not they do not fall under the ears. Take it away, ladies.
SPEAKER_00So do I think we can collectively forge an inclusive environment when it's women themselves that create an environment that is toxic? And will they mentor um another woman if they get into a position of power? Personally, in my career, I have not come across a woman in leadership that has created a toxic environment. But this is partly due to the fact that I have not come across that many female leaders as a civil engineer. I have, however, heard some horror stories from a number of my colleagues and friends. I do think the issue is that when women get into a position of power, it would have typically taken them quite a lot of effort and sacrifice to get into that position. And a lot of them would think, well, I didn't get here easily, so I should you. Uh and if I helped you, would I be seen as sexist and or positively discriminating? So that's what needs to change, in my opinion. Women need to be bold and have the courage to lift each other and pay it forward. But also, society and men need to help normalize and accept women in leadership, especially women of colour. And they need to stop scrutinizing them way more harshly than their male counterparts. Only then can women forge inclusive environments where they can mentor and support other women to speak to this year's theme, which is collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women.
SPEAKER_01And I'm answering the question: can we collectively forge an inclusive world when it's women themselves that create an environment that is toxic and undermines? So I am going to speak in the environment which I work, which is predominantly male, which is IT, right? I believe that it is something that is possible yet at the same time impossible because of the fact of women have some women have adapted to that stereotype that they are meant to serve other people, that they are meant to be under other people. Women walk around with fear of what if you know, especially in an environment like the environment which I work, where men basically think a woman can never be more technical than they are. I could say like I can't say meaningless positions because every position is important. However, positions where you can't really be heard, you can't really be seen as a contributor to the technical world. So what we need to do collectively as women, I feel like in my environment, there is no such stereotype of women being the reason. Well, unfortunately, in it in the case where there is such, it is interracially, not to say that race matters. Um, but we can't run away from the fact that, for example, me as a black woman in the technical world, I will always be undermined if there is an Indian, a colored, or a white woman that is in the same position as me. Which goes back to the point of also pay differences. So I believe that it is possible, however, at the same time, impossible, because women need to heal from those traumas of believing and being treated as though they don't matter in the work world and in the work, um, in the world just generally, you know. Women need to stop living in fear, you know. I mean, I'm in a situation right now where I have to argue that I can't be led by my boss because he does not comprehend anything. Um he is very technically challenged, he is intellectually challenged as well, to for lack of a better word, you know. And on top of that, with all the escalations that have happened, nothing has been done about it. And now I sit in a position where it feels like I have to keep correcting his mistakes. My performance review went well while I was talking to him, but he couldn't articulate why I deserved the rating that I got because of such things, you know, where women will be undermined. When I was escalating this matter and the mistreatment of him, I was I was made to feel like I am an angry black woman, or I don't want to be led by a man, or you know, it was just a whole, it's like it is that unsaid, like it's not directly said, but you can kind of hint what a person is alluding to with the comments that they are making in response to your grievance. So women aren't heard, women are scared to be hurt, women are scared of making mistakes. It's it's a whole lot of women can't. And I am personally at a point where I am unbothered. I am going to fight for my place in society because I feel like I have so much to give and I have given so much. And I do not believe that in this world that we live live in, I I don't need to be included. I am already included by virtue of being alive. So perhaps that is something that we need to tell ourselves as women. We don't need to be included, we are in it. Whether it is the societies that we live in, whether it is the big positions or the executive positions in corporate companies, anyway, we fit in. And we don't need to wait for people to validate our existence or whether we should be included or not. I'm in a position right now, I feel like I've been um a specialist for a long time. I no longer want to apply for positions that are specialists because I believe I'm a good leader, I have the leadership qualities, so I want to go back and be impactful in that manner. You see, um, the same way that men can have a whole team of just guys in at work. We women should be doing the same. We should be building each other, we should be mentoring each other and not shy away from having people that have potential to be better than us because another person's growth is essentially your own growth, especially if you mentor that person. So that is just my two cents. Um, there's a lot we can work on emotionally and mentally. However, I feel like it is something that is possible, however, it will only be possible if we work with our traumas and the stigma that has been created within us.
SPEAKER_03In conclusion, can we have a more inclusive world for women? Will it ever exist? Let's not shy away from the truth and stand our ground, not only to be seen, but be heard and treated with respect. Thank you all for listening. Follow me on Instagram and subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcast. I'm Nita Terry T, your host of Unspoken Truth. Until then, we are the working class woman movement.
SPEAKER_02The Unspoken Truth is the catalyst for important and thought provoking conversations that need to be had. The network tackles social ills, spiritual healing, soul searching, and mental health awareness. To subscribe, click on the show link to follow our podcast and be part of the Unspoken Truth family. Find us on all social media platforms.
