Tag Archives: Harassment

Sexism Confirmed

Fundraising Fundamentals, Planned Giving, , ,

Office sexual harassmentWhat a way to start off a New Year!

I feel naive.

I posed a question last November: “Do Professional Women Still Face Sexism?” I should have skipped the interrogatory and gone straight to the declarative, “Professional Women Still Face Sexism.” Every comment confirms what I feared, but wasn’t certain about.

I have no uncertainty now.

It seems the best we can conclude is that women are better off than they were 40 years ago, but sexism–overt and subtle–remains. “Better off than 40 years ago” doesn’t give me great comfort.

This disturbs me because nonprofit fundraising is predominantly female. Something like two-thirds of fundraisers are women. I don’t like my colleagues suffering. I’m sure the stories run much deeper, more hurtful and more dangerous than the disrespect reflected in your comments to my first post. I wonder if every woman recalls a serious incident while reading this. I’m sorry.

For a week, I’m disabling the requirement to provide an email address to post a comment. If you have a story you want to share in total anonymity, use a bogus name (so I and others have something to refer to) and tell your story.

Male sexism doesn’t stop with professional colleagues; it runs to donors. (It obviously runs into personal lives, too.) A comment from LinkedIn describes how a fundraiser has been ignored after expressing interest in making planned gifts to nonprofits where she is a donor. Her friends have suffered the same disregard. She says they have, “dropped hints, left messages, sent emails or boldly said” they want to include gifts in their estates. They’re ignored. I’m astounded.

I apologize for my viridity.

I’m not going to preach to men. If you’re over 12 and haven’t learned equality, nothing I say will teach you.

It’s all very sad.

Do Professional Women Still Face Sexism?

Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio, , ,

I have a story. I believe my mere anecdote is representative of what professional women face. My belief may be wrong. Tell me what you think.

I rarely eat alone. I’m usually with someone related to business and we’re discussing how we can help each other. Recently, I had dinner with a woman who does travel destination and event work for nonprofit professional associations. There were no reservations available so we sat at the bar. I returned from a visit to the men’s room–a visit of unremarkable duration–to a party of three. Excusing my way past the two self-invited married men, I regained my seat.

They were talking to my colleague about her ring, eyes and hair. One, who it saddens me to disclose is an attorney, accused her of winking when she explained the two of us were having a business meeting. Ignoring my disagreement, he relented only after she corrected him repeatedly through his teasing. He and his friend were flirtatious and condescending, with no encouragement from the object of their derision. They guilted her into accepting business cards and departed as abruptly as they had arrived. A subjugation accomplished?

Their cards were a thick stock. (Are they compensating for inadequacy elsewhere?) She used them to scrape guacamole off the bar.

We were indignant. I was disturbed and she, somewhat resigned, but certainly not defeated. She had been insulted, and I told her I’m sorry it happened. We carried on with our meeting.

In another post I recommended not pissing off women. If these guys read that post, they mistook it for sarcasm.

Typical? Aberrant? The former, I fear.