Female CEO Reveals The Dark Side Of Being A Woman In Business!

1. Having to work harder than any man, just to prove yourself!

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A CEO businesswoman revealed that she's constantly having to strive to prove herself more and more. She has to work so much harder, just to prove herself a woman and earn the respect that she deserves because there are so many derogatory stereotypes around that women and business don't mix.

2. Being judged on your appearance

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As female CEOs of the business world, they found that they are constantly judged on their appearance and that this is solely because they a woman. They would receive looks up and down, or even sometimes face preferential treatment or be treated differently about how they looked!

3. The gender pay gap still exists

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The gender pay gap is still very much prevalent in business and it has been witnessed by CEOs who are right in the midst of the business world. The gender pay gap is something that is based on the ingrained sexism of business, and there's still so much work to be done to eradicate this.

4. Having your opinions spoken over

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It was also revealed that as a woman in business, she had experienced being spoken over by men so many times. They wouldn't do it to one another, just to the women. In one instance she was the only woman in a business, and each time she stated her opinion a different man would speak right over her.

5. Not being taken seriously

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There's also the continuous frustration of not being taken seriously. Women are so highly stereotyped that there has been a false, and archaic narrative that women are not suited to business. And so it's a daily experience that women in business find themselves not being taken seriously.

6. Being continuously undermined

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In a similar manner, they are also undermined. There are not many more frustrating experiences as a successful, high-up businesswoman who has earned her right (three times over) to be there, only to find herself undermined. And sadly, this proved to be a regular occurrence.

7. Being sexualised

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Why does a woman have to face being sexualized at work? A woman CEO at a huge corporation found that one of the hardest, and darkest parts of climbing the ladder was the sheer amount of sexualization she faced. Even now she has reached her current CEO status, she faces it regularly.

8. Having things mansplained to you

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Mansplaining is when a man explains something that a woman already knows, or is easy to understand, in a simple, childlike way which is hugely degrading and patronizing. And sadly men do it all the time to women, especially in business which reveals the shocking reality that they believe women are less capable than men.

9. Being a woman amongst many men

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When you're a woman in business, the higher up the ladder you climb, the fewer females you see. It's a completely male-dominated environment. That's not because women don't deserve to be there, it's because prejudice still runs too deep within the business world.

10. Having to juggle so many responsibilities

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Being a woman, there are so many more things to juggle. Because of the expectations of you, there's always pressure to be a good mother (if you have kids), to look after your family, to have a career...and this amount of pressure can really get on top of you and become too much at times.

11. The glass ceiling keeps women out

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The glass ceiling refers to the fact that women cannot get past a certain point on the career ladder because they are prevented from doing so by invisible forces of sexism, stereotypes, and prejudice. And as a female CEO said, this is STILL a massive problem.

12. Experiencing imposter syndrome

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That feeling when you feel like you shouldn't be there or you don't have a right to be there is Imposter Syndrome. Because you DO. But, as a female CEO said, you have it ingrained within you and society that a woman doesn't have a right to be there, which you internalize and then start to believe it yourself.

13. Being penalized for being a mother

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A woman should never have to choose between a career and becoming a mother. She should be allowed to have both. Is this the reality? According to a woman CEO, it isn't because women are penalized in business for having maternity leave or having to take time to breastfeed for example.

14. The constant expectation to conform to the traditional stereotype

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As a modern woman, you believe that there is no single way that a woman should look or act. Yet when it comes to the dark side of the business world this sadly isn't the case. Women are constantly expected to conform to an archaic, traditional stereotype.

15. Not being judged on an equal footing

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Another thing that was found by women in business is that they were not judged on an equal footing to men. They were held to an entirely different standard or format of judging which meant that if a woman achieved the same as a man, it still wouldn't be viewed the same!

16. Having less opportunities

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Women have for many years and STILL are struggling with getting business opportunities. There are not many opportunities out there that give women the same opportunities as men or help to alleviate some of the prejudices to help them through the door.

17. Being judged on more than just your business skills

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As a female CEO revealed, she found that throughout her career she was never judged solely on her business acumen - which was undeniably one of the best. Instead, she found herself judged on the way she looked, how men thought she should act as a woman and so many other judgments that were not applied to men.

18. Having to advocate for yourself more than a man

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Businesswomen who made it to the top really emphasize how much you have to advocate for yourself as a woman, so much more than you do as a man. This is because you have to overcome all of the hurdles and push yourself forward when people continue to try and hold you back.

19. Seeing other women face the same struggles

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A CEO  found that just because she may have made it, didn't mean that she felt the work was done in terms of being a woman in business. She had to watch so many other women go through the same struggles, and sometimes get knocked back despite the fact that they deserved to succeed.

20. Showing aggression that is viewed differently as a woman

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When a businesswoman has an aggressive time or business mindset, it is viewed entirely differently by a man who channels his aggression. A woman is deemed as 'manly' or 'rude' or 'heartless', for having the same strategy as a man who would be called 'a good businessman'.

21. Knowing that gender bias is present

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As a CEO, just because you've pushed your way to the top doesn't mean that you are not aware of gender bias at every step of the way. One CEO found that as she progressed more and more, the gender bias became even more evident and difficult to navigate.

22. The pressure to be perfect

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This CEO also found that men could try and fail and they would be hailed as hardworking or resilient. But when she tried and failed, she would be called 'out of her depth'. She felt that was under so much more scrutiny, and every tiny thing she did would be criticized or picked up on.

23. Having male colleagues say inappropriate things

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No woman, in business or otherwise, should have to deal with men saying inappropriate things to them to do with their gender. But, sadly this isn't the case. Women in business have shockingly high reports of having male comments making them feel uncomfortable or intimidated.

24. Knowing you are representing women, not just yourself

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As a female CEO reported, she felt that not only was she representing herself, but she was representing women everywhere because there are not enough women out there who have been able to make it. So rather than only having the pressure on herself, she felt the pressure to advocate for women.

25. Feeling isolated

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It can be a hugely isolating experience for women in business because it is so male-dominated. A woman could walk into a board meeting and find that she's the only woman. Or she could be working in an office with 20 men and 1 woman. It can be a very lonely place.

26. The challenges of networking in a predominantly male space

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Networking is an important aspect of business because it's all about trying to create contacts to expand your own business. Yet for a woman in a male space, it can be intimidating. Networking in a roomful of men is an experience that made some businesswomen feel uncomfortable and at times hostile.

27. Facing backlash for pushing for equal opportunity

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How many times do you hear about businesswomen facing backlash for a decision in comparison to a man who made the same decision? Businesswomen have found that when they have pushed for equal opportunities, people have massively resisted it or denied any need to change!

28. Facing a bigger struggle to get mentorship or capital

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Statistically, it's 80% more likely that a man could get the money or the mentorship to support his endeavour, in comparison to a woman. This in itself just shows how much women have to contend with, and how difficult it is to begin the business journey.

29. Being told you are 'emotional'

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A CEO also found that a super patronizing and derogatory term that women are labeled within the business if somebody didn't agree with them was 'emotional'. Shockingly she was told 'you are too emotional' or you are 'acting on your emotions' more than a handful of times.

30. Being compared to a man

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'Oh wow, you act like a man!' or 'You're actually as good as a man'....it sounds shocking but this is a real reflection of what some businesswomen face in the business world. They're not praised for their business skill, they're praised in comparison to a man and how people stereotype a woman.