Oh Barbie, Barbie – It’s the Same Ole Men’s World

In 2010 my 18-year-old son said to me, “Mom, women are equal now. Stop worrying about it!” He knew my profession was uplifting, connecting, and uniting women in business so they would buy from each other and exchange money so we could fight the inequality in the pay gap. I said back to him that night, “Honey, just wait until you are older and are married and your wife doesn’t bring home enough money because the same ole men’s rules continue, then you’ll understand.”

Fast-forward 14 years to everyone’s shock that Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie didn’t receive Oscar Nominations for “Barbie” the movie, but the lead actor Ryan Gosling did. I personally thought Ryan was great, but that is not the point. The point is that the people – I’m assuming at least 50% of them men – did not see the value of equally giving women in the movie credit for their roles. Why? Because the same ole men’s rules continue.

Just when we think women are advancing in the case of having a female vice president of the United States or more females in the space program, we get flattened when Roe vs. Wade is reversed and even when the female director and female lead of a blockbuster movie don’t get nominated for an award. Hmmm, could it be that the same old men’s rules continue?

I’m not sure how to fix it because I’ve been very vocal about women’s equality – especially pay equality for 3-decades – and nothing has changed. Perhaps we inched up a percentage or two in what we earn compared to men or how many women are in the C-Suite, but in society and politics where change must take root, nothing has changed, and it’s still the same ole men’s rules.

In 2023, I created a new quote for my company and it is, “The world won’t change for women unless women change the world for women.” It is true. Men’s rules will dominate until enough women believe strongly enough that the time has come for major change and convince not only the men in their life but other women and girls, that we must change the world.

Be vocal. March. Vote. Talk, Converse. Gather.  Tell the truth to everyone you know. And then perhaps in another 30 years, we’ll see some sort of change…maybe.