Men at Work - Friend or Foe?

I was at a networking event recently and that perennial question of whether it was best to work amongst an all-women or all-men team reared it's ugly little head. I personally think a mixed team is best and know that is the individual players within the team, male or female, that make the difference to how they work together. It reminded me of how when I work with many women's group's, I am ultimately working in the realm of self-belief and confidence - which is the real issue for most women. For many women in male dominated fields, the "men" issue is a red herring. Blaming men as a group for gender inequalities in the workplace (as well as in the home!) is not going to get us any further in our careers - and may blind us to potenial support. As Betty Friedan, of the Feminine Mystique said when addressing a group of professional women "The enemy isn't men. The real enemy is women's denigration of themselves." Which men have been supportive of your career?

Comments

[mhairi]

I agree it doesn't help to tar every man with the same sexist brush.

What does need recognising is that both men and women are today reared in sexist cultures.

As power/influence/freedom and other goodies are rarely given-up freely, it is up to women to take them, but men's consciousnessess need raising too!

I have a male mentor who's very down-to-earth and tells it like it is, he's definitely helping my career.

I also find when I take an interest in "techie" things that male colleagues can be very generous with their knowledge.