L'altra sera a cena, una mia cara amica mi ha aggredita dicendo di smetterla di dire che, nella mia azienda, le donne fanno carriera solo se si infilano sotto una scrivania e usano le ginocchiere.
Ha aggiunto che queste cose succedono raramente e che così sputtano le donne.
Non sono d'accordo.
Per esperienza diretta sono certissima che buona parte delle donne che ho incontrato in 15 anni di lavoro hanno fatto carriera pagando pegno a un uomo, volontariamente o meno, a volte anche costrette da situazioni contingenti.
Poi ci sono anche quelle che subiscono per non perdere il lavoro, ma è un altro caso, ben peggiore.
Non facciamo le ipocrite! si sa che avere l'appoggio di uomo aiuta a fare carriera e, dato che l'Italia è uno stato estremamente maschilista, le donne italiane sono molto più svantaggiate rispetto alle colleghe straniere e quindi fanno di necessità virtù.
Non mi permetto di giudicare le scelte di nessuno, ma siccome ho avuto anche io la mia parte di guai e non ho mai ceduto, mi ritrovo senza una carriera e con una grande rabbia dentro.
Qui di seguito una recensione del libro "Vita da segretaria" in cui ben si evidenzia il mio pensiero:
A Life of a Secretary, a mirror of the Italian Society
"If you read the heading of the article and your first reaction was an air of disgust at the word Secretary, you should introspect and ask yourself why.
Do you consider the role demeaning and unprofessional?The context is missing. If we were in England or the US or even some Asia Pacific countries, “secretary” or even personal assistant could take the form in the traditional sense but it could also assume the professional role of the right hand person of the CEO. It is not uncommon that these figures usually hold a powerful role.
In Italy however it is a different story. “A life of a secretary” is a book of short stories by a woman who has held several posts as secretary/assistant in Italy and the humiliation and difficulties faced in each one. A woman (or man for that matter) of integrity is not so easy to find: one woman’s battle I am glad to say that stood her ground even if that meant risking her job on several occasions and opportunities of progress.
The author who goes by the pseudonym Annalisa Vergani was born in Bergamo in 1966 and has a degree in foreign languages and a master in human resources management.
She begun to work as a Scientific Secretary at the European Institute of Oncology and after six years decided that it was time to change and to have other experiences.
In the last 9 years she changed several jobs, always looking for a boss that could appreciate her skills and her potential.
It was a mission impossible! But on the path of knowledge she learnt many things and more importantly direction and self esteem.
Annalisa decided to write the book because she had the need distance herself from all the negative experiences. Annalisa Vergani is the nickname used as author of the book
probably due to the need to put a distance between her and the things she had to bear.
The purpose of the book is to underline behaviours that are not acceptable neither in the office or at home with humour and irony (taking it seriously would be a real tragedy!!) hoping that in the future nobody has to suffer these kind of things.
Having started to read the book various aspects emerge. It’s definitely a good book for people that are considering coming to Italy. It is unfortunately a reflection of Italian society. How men generally perceive women and how many women have reacted to appease them.
I remember when I first arrived in Italy and the awe entering a multinational upon seeing scantily clad women in the office place. I put it down to cultural difference and maybe the British were a little prudish in their dress sense. Nevertheless the short hemline would certainly be cause for distraction.
The author was once asked by foreign women why they had difficulty interacting with Italian women. The answer she replied was simple. Women are judged not by their intelligence or professionalism, but by their elegance and how many heads turn when you enter a room.
Upon reading the book, one can feel and even re-live the frustrations that the author experienced. There are many women out there that are disadvantaged due to the fact that Italy is still very male dominated. On the other hand I can say I have met several professional women in Italy and so clearly there has been some progress especially in the multinational companies.
The author sends a distinct message to us all-to hold on to our dignity. If your environment makes you feel intimidated and inadequate, the chances are YOU are not.
By Hema Mali
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