This week, I came across a BBC article with the blazing headline: I dye my hair brown to be taken more seriously at work and inwardly groaned. I hate these articles for a number of reasons, but especially because of the unhelpful stereotype it enforces.
I’m naturally brunette and sometimes I don’t wear make-up or heels to work. Am I automatically taken more seriously on these days? And is our blonde, ever-glamorous female director in her heels and make-up taken less seriously? You can bet this isn’t true. Being a brunette doesn’t mean I have a better shot at being successful and it’s insulting that Carey is even trying to sell that idea in. As a CEO of a tech company, she should know better.
The tone of the article implies that women are still the victims in business. Yes, I think it should be universally recognised that we are still facing a magnitude of issues in the workplace such as a glass ceiling and sexism, but I don’t identify as a victim because of this.
To succeed in a male-dominated world where women can be underestimated just means that we have to show our strength of character that little bit more to remove these stereotypes. Is it fair? No. But what’s more unfair is a role model in the industry such as Eileen Carey implying that to get ahead, we should change our appearance and ‘dull’ ourselves down, rather than prove people’s prejudices wrong by allowing ourselves to be stereotypically ‘feminine’.
Carey says: ‘…If you want to try and change a company, then “Be the change you want to see in the world, which may mean sacrificing your personal life for a discrimination lawsuit. That’s unfortunately how you have to change businesses.”’
But this is beyond contradictory. Carey changed herself to fit in with the tech industry’s perceptions of women – not the other way around. In fact, her actions only perpetuate existing notions that blonde, made-up, feminine women can’t be taken seriously or lead a successful business.
I also have to question the agenda of this article. If women read this article and dye their hair brown, are we not just furthering this view that blonde women can’t be successful in business? I’m sure numerous incredible women like Sylvia Earle, Reese Witherspoon, Marissa Mayer and J.K Rowling would disagree. These women are the truly strong and inspirational.
What does this have to do with a marketing agency in the Midlands? Everything. In fact, this article has to do with every woman in every workplace, whether they have brown, blonde or blue hair.
Don’t let an out-dated and old-fashioned viewpoint like this put you off. Don’t dim what makes you stand out to fit in. Especially if it makes others question their prejudices.