Thursday, February 16, 2017

I Persisted!


I recently had a conversation with someone who didn't seem to understand why "She Persisted" rings so true for many of us. It's not really about Elizabeth Warren for us. It resonates with us because we think "I persisted" when we hear it.

In my case:

  • I persisted in the computer field even after it became mostly men.
  • I persisted despite being told that women shouldn't take jobs from men because women don’t need to support a family.
  • I persisted after being told I couldn't climb a crane to install software because someone might look up my dress. 
  • I persisted despite being told that women weren't good hires because they would get pregnant and leave.
  • I persisted after being told I didn’t need a job because my husband worked.  
  • I persisted despite watching men with fewer achievements get promoted instead of me. 
  • I persisted when I was told that the required qualifications for a job were qualifications that the recently-hired men for the same job did not have.
  • I persisted despite there being no women's bathroom where I worked! 
  • I persisted when male co-workers stole my source code and took credit for it.
  • I persisted when male co-workers broke my source code and didn’t take credit for it.
  • I persisted when my pay was less than men in the same job. 
  • I persisted as popular culture spread the myth that a computer expert has to look like Mark Zuckerberg. 
  • I persisted when I looked around the room at meetings or conferences and was unable to find another female face.
  • I persisted when my ideas at a meeting were rejected when the same ideas posed later by a man in the same meeting were accepted.
  • I persisted despite incessant comments about my clothes, hair, and jewelry. 
  • I persisted despite having my ass pinched at work.  
  • I persisted. :-) 



3 comments:

  1. I Persisted ... Lovely write up☺

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  2. I persisted when my desk was labelled 'receptionist'.
    I persisted when visitors gave me their empty coffee cups to wash as they left.
    I persisted when my phone number was labelled 'receptionist' in the mega-corporation's phone book.
    I persisted when people walked straight up to the young male junior coder thinking he was the team leader and not me.
    I persisted when all the devs were introduced to the new CEO with their full name, job title and handshake while I was just pointed to with firstname despite having the most seniority.

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