3 Reasons why women don’t need to act like men
It's International Women Day, and we thought we would remind all the working women out there that they don't need to "act like a lady, and think like a man".
International Women's Day is taking place on Wednesday, with scores of events planned around the world to highlight women's achievements, and the struggles they still face in 2017.
Despite breaking glass ceilings, women are still fighting for equality in the work place.
A report by the Department of Women found that female workers still faced barriers that limited the likelihood of utilising their full potential.
"While evidence from the labour market may be mixed, it is clear that women are still disadvantaged relative to men. They tend to be clustered in less-skilled occupations, including domestic work, and are more concentrated in terms of industry paid work or to earn less than men doing the same work. This is evidenced in the dominance of women within lower income categories. This suggests that the policy imperative to promote gender equality within the labour market remains strong," the 2015 "Status of Women in the South African Economy" report stated.
Women are often encouraged to act like men in order to succeed in the workplace, and other parts of their life.
"You gotta act like a woman, and think like a a man," Jennifer Hudson sings in her hit love song, "Act like a Man".
But women do not need to act like men, and here are three reasons why.
Women are better at multitasking
Studies have proven that women are better at multitasking than men. A 2013 paper in the journal BMC Psychology found that compared to their female counterparts, men were less organised (and slower) when switching between tasks at a rapid pace. Juggling tasks is a great skill to have in the workplace!
Women cope better with stress
Studies have found that women are more resilient when it comes to chronic stress. Women have a unique female stress response called "tend-and-befriend". Men - some not all - deal with stressful situations by using "fight and flight" tactics. Which means they withdraw, while women double their efforts to nurture relationships, and create better bonds. It's all down to hormones.
Women use both sides of their brain more
While men mainly use the left-side of their brain, which is where they get all their rational and logical thinking, women use both sides. This means women are often better communicators, and show more empathy. While logical thinking is important, especially for business leaders, a great leader uses both sides! On the flip-side, because women's brains have a larger limbic system, they tend to be a lot more emotional than men - which is both good and bad. Good, because they are able to connect with people better, and bad because their emotions might affect their decision-making.
So, act like a lady, and think like a lady!