I'm a token woman - AMA

[SkullPointerException]

I'm in tech. I'm the national division lead for a workforce of some 400 people. 93% of the people working for me are men - as are all of my bosses.

There is literally one other woman executive other than myself in the entire division nationwide. There are three waiting in the ranks who are extremely good at what they do and whom I'm waiting to pull up as soon as the opportunity arises.

There are none on the waiting list who are average. Women don't survive this line of work if we're average. I do have a decent (but by no means impressive) number of female employees in junior ranks, and I'm doing my best to help their careers along and grow a sustainably equal workforce bottom up.

I'm perfectly aware that I'm a token woman. I am very good at my job, and I'm not saying that I don't deserve to be where I am. But the fact that I am a lone woman in an ocean of men very clearly does help an organisation in which we're desperately underrepresented deflect criticism: Well, yeah, we do have a small gender equality issue - but we totally did name a woman head honcho of the club goes a long way in certain circles.

I'm a feminist. I'm trying to mentor other women and actively working to address my divisional inequality problem.

But, yes, I'm still a token woman. They know, as do I. So, ask me anything!

Do you know if you're paid the same as other men at your level? Does your company publish that info?

I think one of my DDs is likely to end up in a very male-heavy profession. Does the lack of women also result in a lack of flexibility - for example PT working? Or is it as progressive as any other field. Not that we’ve got terrifically far elsewhere.

@LikesAnimalPark
I sort-of know how much I'm paid in comparison to my male peers. They don't publish this in detail, of course, but due to my role within the organisation I'm familiar with how the salary matrix works out, and I have enough reference points to guesstimate.

I'm paid well for someone with a bog standard, straight off the salary matrix trajectory (upper third but not top band for my level; I've never stalled long enough). I'm paid peanuts compared to the colleagues who negotiate - which we officially say we don't do, but oh do we negotiate! That stereotype that women just don't negotiate as much as men? Spot on! I've seen male graduates ask for 70k and a management level job. I really don't see women do this and I've never done it for myself. For which, in fairness, there may be very good reasons (namely the fact that some studies suggest women get penalised for even trying - having seen my male peers react to 'pushy' women, I'm in no doubts that's true).

@MingaTurtle
My employer - as well as others that I'm aware of - actually make an active effort in this regard. We're extremely flexible regarding PT, annual leave etc. Of course one of the reasons is that we know we have a woman problem and HR has decided that this is what women want.

This one, oddly enough, seems to work against the men who take advantage for change. I've seen several male colleagues with young families opt to benefit from one of the flexi-arrangements - and every single time their career has stalled. They do get 'll the usual 'such a good dad' brownie points that women never get for the same stuff, but they don't ever seem to get that big promotion.

Then again, it's not as though we have enough senior women to make a meaningful comparison. The most successful ones I know all either a) have no families or b) were successful first and then went on to have kids in their 40s.