Young women think empowerment means short skirts and high heels! They are so entitled!
Older women can’t let go of their leadership positions and they’re so damn judgmental! It’s like they don’t even want young women to succeed!
Sound familiar?
With all the important work to do, it is time that women of all ages talked and listened to one another instead of rehashing the same cliquish complaints in isolation. It is time that we reopen a dialogue about women’s lives, power, entitlement, and empowerment from a generational perspective.
The four of us–Kristal Brent Zook, Gloria Feldt, Courtney E. Martin, and Deborah Siegel—are taking it on the road to spark just this discussion and we figured this would be a great online home for all of our thoughts, fights, and insights.
We are four diverse, feminist authors representing generations from Generation Y to pre-Baby Boomer and we want to ask the tough questions:
- Are young women really opting out of the workforce?
- Do older women really think of their employees as [overly?] entitled?
- How can younger women express gratitude and learn from their elders and visa versa?
- How can older women listen and cede power to the next generation?
- What do power and empowerment look like to women of different generations?
- Does liberated sexuality equal Paris Hilton? Madonna? Bisexuality?
- What is the major unfinished business for women in the workplace today?
- How do we keep our eyes on the prize of equality and opportunity for all?
Stay tuned for our intergenerational explorations of these issues, and so many others. And by all means, join in! Here’s to women who have ideas and aren’t afraid to use them…
Comments
Patti Binder — August 31, 2007
Congratulations! I am so thrilled that you have partnered together to move this conversation forward beyond the misconceptions, frustrations and whining (um, not that I have ever whined about this topic...) between generations of feminists to a new level of working together and sharing power. Having experienced and witnessed the generational divide among women as it takes place in women's non profit organizations, I can't wait to hear what you have to say. Thank you for making this conversation public and interactive!
Anonymous — September 11, 2007
I'm not sure why anyone thinks that older women should just relinquish their power. If they still enjoy their positions and are competent to do the work, why should they give it up? It certainly seems like entitlement to assume that they should step aside.