The #MeToo movement is a loaded topic. It feels like an avalanche of accusations with one high-profile name chasing another. Women are coming forward with claims of sexual harassment throughout business, politics, and entertainment. Does #MeToo poison trust between men and women?
Why #MeToo is so powerful
It’s simple. Women have endured unwanted sexual advances and harassment generation after generation. Not only are men physically stronger, but women have been taught that it’s somehow our fault if we’ve been harassed. Just look at some cultures who still put pressure on women to not draw attention to themselves so that men won’t be tempted to violate them.
And sadly, American culture allows a man to terrorize the mother of his children and attempt to drive her into poverty with his new wife or girlfriend at his side cheering him on.
That a man chooses to provide, and that he has the power to take it away, is still a prevailing idea.
#MeToo boiled over so quickly because women hold a lot of pent up anger. We have witnessed injustices at work and at home, and if it didn’t happen directly to us, it has certainly happened to someone we know. #MeToo is the release of anger that has been simmering in women’s hearts over the wrongs we’ve endured for far too long.
What did you expect?
The pendulum has swung all the way. Now women feel free to speak out.
What is your organization supposed to do?
The answer is Balanced Leadership. Men need to be part of this conversation and women must remove the hostility in order to truly communicate. Men need new guidelines and training on how they can act and react without violating their own code. Women need to support each other more and move quickly from the what-happened conversation to the what-we-can-do-to-change-this conversation.
I want to support you and your organization in this. To have an exploratory conversation, please click here. Let’s talk.
At her lowest point, Beate Chelette was $135,000 in debt, a single mother, and forced to leave her home. Only 18 months later, she sold her image licensing business to Bill Gates in a multimillion dollar deal. Chelette is a nationally known ‘gender decoder’ who has appeared in over 60 radio shows, respected speaker, career coach, consummate creative entrepreneur, and author of Happy Woman Happy World. Beate is also the founder of The Women’s Code, a unique guide to women leadership and personal and career success that offers a new code of conduct for today’s business, private, and digital worlds. Determined to build a community of women supporting each other, she took her life-changing formula documented it all in a book Brian Tracy calls “an amazing handbook for every woman who wants health, happiness, love and success!”
Through her corporate initiative “Why Acting Like a Girl Is Good For Business” she helps companies with gender diversification training, and to develop and retain women.
If you’d like to book Beate as a speaker on New Leadership Balance or Creative Entrepreneurship for your next event please connect with me.