General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 67 year old woman here..long and varied work history...Most of my female bosses were horrid. [View all]peggysue2
(10,819 posts)I share the experience of some really bad female bosses and I'm within your age bracket. Women in higher management was something 'new' when I started out and too frequently there was a habit that women in charge had to prove themselves as tough as their male counterparts. Sometimes to the extreme. Also had to do with basic personalities and temperaments. Some people, male or female, are difficult to deal with in any situation.
Don't think there's anything sexist in reporting what the conditions were 'back in the day.' Women struggled in the workplace, particularly those promoted into positions of power. Getting there and staying there was a challenge. Over time, this has worked itself out. Women are more confident, better educated, more accepted but the struggle continues to be perceived as equal.
And yes, it is miserable to show up everyday knowing you're likely to butt heads and feel belittled. It was worse for my mother's generation--women who needed to work despite wretched conditions--but then better for our daughters.
We're getting there!