To wonder why the actual fuck I am being asked to go on a course about "women in business"

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

....when, I am in fact a woman who has been in this particular area of "business" for the last 16 years?

What exactly will it be teaching me?

Surely it would be more helpful for the cave men who work here to go on this particular course so they understand that, guess what? Being a woman in a male dominated office is actually ok. And that women are actually able to do the job just as well as you, a penis is not actually required to have a functioning mind.

I cannot believe people are actually still doing these courses, I thought it was generally accepted now that women are not so inferior that they need an entire days course to learn how to do a job they have been doing for 16 fucking years?

I have respectfully declined.
Well no I haven't. I sent my director an email saying "do you want me to actually give the "lesson" on how to be a woman? No? Then I fail to see why I would need to go and learn how to be one. Thanks anyway. There may be other people here who may find it useful"

YANBU send the men instead

I actually agree with you, I'm sure my smug sexist institution thinks it is doing its bit by having these women's courses on how to try and fight with smug sexist institutions, but I don't go on them for precisely this reason, I think it's papering over the cracks rather than really engaging with changing.

Exactly. Its patronizing and stupid. Theres no "men in business" course, is there?

I'd ask why it is that they are offering you the course.

You are being totally unreasonable, Don't you know there has been a time slip into the 1950s, well judging by MN over the last week.

Anyway why are you worrying your pretty little head about business, when you should be at home playing with kittens.

You are obviously a strong character and convinced of your abilities - this is often apparent with women who work in male-dominated industries (myself included). I did however recently sit on a panel to discuss the fact that women do not promote themselves well at work and are "apologetic". So perhaps this course is not being pitched to the right audience - but there's certainly value in it.

I am definitely not the right audience

quote i have noticed the slip back to the 1950s lately. whats that all about?

If I were you, I'd have found out what the content of the course is before dismissing it out-of-hand. I know some very clever and really quite successful women who have been on courses with similar names, and found them useful.

UNfortunately lots of women in business lack confidence and hopefully this kind of course will address that. It doesn;t sound like you're one of them, neither am I - I would have laughed if anyone had suggested it to me.

Ask why you're being sent and if you can choose a course more suited to your needs if they have training budget to spare.

I don't know the content of the course so can't really comment on that. However I do think it's important that these kind of courses are run, you mentioned yourself that you work in a male dominated environment. It's important imo that women are supported and helped up the ladder. I am in my late 20's and work in a male dominated environment. When i got my first job there were bets placed on how long it would take for me to sleep with my boss (because I was young and female and he was a man and 'powerful'). I found it very difficult. A male colleague admitted to me a few months later that he actually was surprised I was good at my job because i thought i was a barbie doll (I wear trousers everyday, natural make up and my hair is tied back).

My greatest support in my current job has been my female line manager. She has given me opportunities to get up the ladder, she has encouraged me and yes, there have been times where she has favoured me over male colleagues (although i hope this is because my reputation now is that I am hard working and reliable). I have relied on courses like these to give me skills and confidence and they have really helped me counter the casual sexism i have to deal with regularly. Maybe this course isn't useful to you as a learner but I would be surprised if you know EVERYTHING, but more than that it could be important for you to attend to be a positive role model for other women in your organisation (or beyond).

*he thought i was a barbie doll

Thanks Tantrums, I'm glad it's not just me that clocked it, i suspect a sly invasions, of the nobber kind, either that or there is a spectacular out break of women being their own worst enemies.

Well, someone will have started up a business and using networking being someone's relative needing some work will have got a contract to provide it.

YANBU. Particularly if its anything like the "diversity" course I went on, which consisted of being asked to write down the most racist remarks they had ever heard then gossip about them with the rest of the group, with no direction as how to avoid them/stop them/challenge them. Instead of increasing my awareness of the real issues affecting racism, I was left with an unpleasantly enhanced knowledge of racist comments which I had never heard of before and a completed wasted day out of my working life - having studied and practised the law relating to discrimination, I was aghast at some of what passed for "training" amongst less qualified providers in such a sensitive field.

The content of the course is how to be a successful woman in business.
How to cope with public speaking when you are the only woman in the room
How to prove that you are as capable as a man
How to deal with sexist attitudes
How to network
How to cope with "the complexities of being a woman in business"

I think what is really annoying me is that this course is not relevant to me
But without even considering what the course was about, it was suggested to me. Just because I am female.

I manage a team of men. I have done this with no major problems, just the odd idiot who assumed i was there to make the tea.

I have never shown any indication that I need support or help in being a woman in this job. Its just not relevant.

Why would I go on a course that is not relevant?

Oh FGS! That content is laughable!

Us women are such delicate little flowers aren't we?

Gah, pass me the vomit bucket!

In my former pre-kids life, there were all sorts of management courses you could be asked to go on...including similarly-titled ones.
They were actually about career development from a woman's point of view, an opportunity to network with other women who didn't play golf etc etc.
All very well-intentioned I am sure but I think YABU as just because you feel you can easily survive in the sea of male sharks..others may not find it so easy...to the extent that they may decide to be SAHMs once kids come along rather than compete against the men, when their hormones are screeching nurture.

Running such a course will likely help your organistion tick its 'equality in the workplace' criteria so it is ironic that you perceive it as sexist and unnecessary.

I hate this kind of crap.

Patronizing bollox. Same as gender quotas. If someone can't make it in whatever arena on their own merits then it's not for them.

I'd be insulted to be asked to attend this kind of shite. YANBU.

My workplace send me invites to this kind of guff regularly. Emails are deleted without being read.

It's not relevant to me

But it's been suggested to me. Simply because I am a women.

That's why I am annoyed.

It is not relevant to my career.

As you suspect you have probably been asked to attend purely because you are female but as someone else said, you would be a good role model for younger female staff.
How come you have managed to avoid such courses for so long anyway?

I have never been invited on one of these courses, I don't know how I managed to avoid them.
I was invited to a women only networking event at a spa about 10 years ago. That was .... Interesting

someone will have started up a business and using networking being someone's relative needing some work will have got a contract to provide it

That's what happened in my firm LessMissAbs

I was forced to go on a course aimed at making you more 'goal-driven' or some such shit.

The lowest point, of many, was when we had to draw a picture showing where we were and where wanted to end up. We were given suggestions like 'you might want to be on a tropical island or big yacht. Really express yourselves'.

I drew a stick figure in a chair, a dotted line and a door and put my pencil down.

When the instructor asked what it meant, I said, this is me in my chair, that's the door and I want to go through it and never come back.

Yanbu.

These types of courses are still sadly highly valuable for men, to prevent them from making a total tit out of themselves.

In a previous job:
I mentioned to a (male) friend that the European Director was flying over from France to meet me, so I would have a busy day and possibly not be able to meet for drinks later. He said "oh, so you will be busy taking notes then". No actually, he is coming to meet with me.

A new male colleague in the technical department was introduced to the office. Upon being formally introduced to a pretty young woman with long hair and nice peach business suit, he said "oh, you must be answering a lot of phone calls" thinking she was a secretary, She just kept a straight face and said "yes, I do", and left it at that. She was the acting MD, on loan from the mothership in the US, where her title would be senior vice president. He clearly had not managed to memorize the name of the company's MD.

Exactly. Send the men on the course. Entitled "Why the lack of a penis does not indicate a lack of a brain" or something.

If I couldnt speak in front of a group of men, then I would consider myself to be in the wrong job.