career
The housewife stereotype has long since shattered - it's all about leaning in, breaking the glass ceiling, closing the wage gap and more.
Accountability in Educational Theatre and Beyond
The theatre industry, like many, has always been a male-led industry, its content and conventions created by and for men. There was a time when women weren't even allowed to perform or attend performances. Yet, somewhere along the line, boys' masculinity began to be measured by how skilled they were at athletics. The performing arts became too "feminine" of a career choice, likely discouraging many young men to try out for the high school play, and thus discouraging a potential introduction to careers in theatre. In high school and community theatre productions, where many current professionals discovered their calling, recruiting men who can act (and sing, and dance) can be difficult. Often, if it's harder to fill male roles, a director or teacher is more willing to be flexible in order to have a successful show. Maybe they add Maria into "Edelweiss" sooner to mask Captain Von Trapp's tone-deafness. Maybe "Jimmy" is late to Thoroughly Modern Millie rehearsal a fourth time and they decide not to cut him because they have no replacement. In educational theatre, where there are usually more talented young women than a show can hold, women are held to different standards. It gets cutthroat. They have to work harder to "outshine" their peers. And they're replaceable. "Millie" gets kicked out if she's consistently late, because "that's how the real world works." And even though "Jimmy" was kind of a nightmare, he still gets cast in the musical the following spring.
Briana BeemanPublished 5 years ago in Viva
The Fight for Equal Pay
One of the most subtle but life-altering realities for women in the United States today is the gender pay gap. Women have been fighting for years against misogynist, patriarchal workplaces that undervalue their abilities and skills, and of all the ways that women are discriminated against, this is one that can very tangibly change the way they live their lives. Lower income means less freedom in the way they spend their money and likely leads to increased levels of stress. According to Anxiety.org, 30 percent of women reported higher levels of stress due to financial reasons, whereas only 17 percent of men said so (Sharf). The head researcher stated that women may feel more stress about money because they feel obligated to take care of the home and children, which is another result of patriarchy. So not only does patriarchy pay women less, it puts us in a position to worry about how we’re paid less. This is the reality that women face going to work every day.
Mady MastersPublished 5 years ago in Viva
The Only Female Comic in the Room
To the men that I share the stage with, know that I don't hate all of you. Some of you are very, very funny and I admire your work. I would even go as far as to say that I would be honored to collaborate with you someday, if you will have me of course. You know what? I think some of you are up there with George Carlin! Dave Chappelle! Bill Burr! Joan Rivers—oh, sorry, of course not... Steve Martin!
Natalie TolandPublished 5 years ago in Viva
Learning to Stand Your Ground as a Woman
I have mentioned on this website that I work at a bar (Read: Confessions of a Feminist), and I often have run-ins with multiple guys a night hitting on me or asking me for my number.
Kennedy KovalickPublished 5 years ago in Viva
First Day As a Working Girl
So, I was inspired to write this little piece for all the strong, young women who are empowering themselves by taking on the role of working girl. After combing through all of my favorite blog sites, I just could not find the perfect one to send my best friend who happens to be starting her first day of a pretty serious internship tomorrow. Although I do not have an abundance of experience (still only 20 LOL), I do have a bit of wisdom from a previous internship and even from a bit of what I started to date this summer.
The Funeral Industry
What’s a woman’s role in the funeral industry? From my view, nothing of any respect. That probably sounds a little harsh, and granted, I am speaking from my own personal experiences (which are many and varied)—but from what I’ve witnessed, the funeral industry is one of the last bastions of ‘Good ole boy’ chauvinism.
Andrea Van ScoyocPublished 5 years ago in Viva
Societal Expectations
I’m 21-years-old, and I’m alive and well in the year 2018. A time to be alive for a woman. Being able to own property is cool, being able to receive an education, being treated as a person instead of an object (most of the time), and having fundamental human freedoms. Why is it, that in 2018, I still feel like I must choose between having a relationship and a career? It’s one or the other, right? That’s how we’ve all been trained.
Mallory JonesPublished 5 years ago in Viva
Confessions of a Feminist
After rolling out of bed, I pick out my outfit for the day, I work at 5. Shorts or jeans? Low cut shirt or just a regular tee shirt?
Kennedy KovalickPublished 5 years ago in Viva
Inspiring Women Who Work in Tech
I never identified as a girl—not primarily, anyway. To me, I was "Jovelle"—and I happened to be born with the reproductive organs associated with the word "female." I didn’t really care that I was a girl, didn’t care if others were or were not girls, and gender roles weren’t a big deal to me. If you're wondering why traditional gender roles are dying out, picture me.
Jovelle AvancenaPublished 5 years ago in Viva
The Concerning Trend of Our Bodies and Image Becoming Commodities
For my university project, I had to pick a study and design an academic poster about the topic. This is basically a colourful illustration of the findings of the experiment with charts, illustrations, and huge headers. You know, teachers forcing us to do something "fun" and creative between a 1,500 word lab report and a 4,000 word essay.
Maura DudasPublished 5 years ago in Viva
Equal Work for Equal Pay
I believe in radical changes with equal work, equal pay. Women get paid less than a man in many areas of work. Feminism seeks to level the playing field. Feminists want to help women climb the corporate ladder as equals to men. But in this political climate where the Republicans couldn’t stand having another liberal for president this time around, women are hard-pressed to find social equality at all. I value my brain and brawn over my body in general. I value my brains more than I value my physical attractiveness. I would much rather be known for academia than my beauty.
Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 5 years ago in Viva
10 Inspiring Female Journalists
Compared to how it is today, in the past, the majority of women weren't taken seriously in their professions. In fact, it was pretty difficult for women to obtain higher and professional jobs, because men believed that they weren't properly equipped for them. But when women do work as professionals, they're still not being taken seriously.
Lilliana BackmanPublished 5 years ago in Viva
