Throughout California and within some of the nation’s most powerful companies, the conversation around discrimination, harassment, prejudice, and bias are being made. Antonia Hock is one of those voices speaking out on discrimination in the workplace and is a strong proponent of women empowerment in the business world. However, Hock has noticed that there has been little conversation regarding women keeping down other women but, at the same time, promoting women’s empowerment.
Hypocricy
Antonia Hock has gone on record as saying that she has witnessed women in senior roles actively working to undermine her voice throughout her career. The conversations within these workplaces have constantly revolved around harassment made by men. Although harassment by men is certainly a real issue, the fact is that it’s not the only issue. There are many women in power who actively promote women empowerment and, at the same time, suppress those women below them in the workplace.
Hollow Words
During the early career of Antonia Hock, she was often asked by her superiors (mostly women) to tone down her femininity. They would suggest that she avoid wearing dresses as they were deemed “too distracting.” When asked to present her ideas before a big meeting, those same women would steal her information and present it as their own. Later on, she would even be denied promotions due to her age and appearance, often being told she was too pretty to be smart.
Promoting women empowerment
Employment law states that no one should be threatened within the workplace. However, Antonia Hock has, unfortunately, dealt with these types of issues throughout her career. When women in senior roles begin to create “tribes” within the workplace, then it can be deemed as a threat to those not apart of them. Antonia Hock understands this and thus takes the time to stop and mentor those women coming up the ranks. She never attempts to discourage their ambitions nor tell them how they should dress. It is only through the “practice what you preach” method that women’s empowerment can truly be achieved in the business community.
Understandably, it can be difficult to go over the hurdles of harassment when you don’t have any allies to turn to. In this situation, it is recommended to bring on a personal attorney to help you choose your next steps wisely.
