“Stay Out of Your Own Way” Workshop helps women to increase employment opportunities.
The Women’s Center will celebrate the end of the year by eliminating gender stereotypes.
On Tuesday, M. Geneva Murray, director of the Women’s Center, will be generating the third edition of the “Stay Out of Your Own Way: How Gender Stereotypes Threaten Our Success” workshop.
The interactive workshop will create an opportunity for women to reflect on their experiences on how society’s overbearing expectations have diminished their skills. The analysis will aim to increase their skills and opportunities for future employment.
The program, along with a workshop about salary and negotiation, serves as a requirement for the Women’s Center’s leadership program She Leads Ohio.
Erin Morgenstern, assistant director for leadership for Career and Leadership Development Center, said the program allows people to be aware of stereotypes that get overlooked.
“Awareness is the key to driving change in our world,” Morgenstern said in an email. “In our society, there are stigmas women must overcome that can hinder their ability to feel prepared and empowered to pursue their dream careers.”
Murray said the workshop allows women to assert themselves against those obstacles.
“There are a lot of contradictory gender stereotypes in regards to how women are supposed to act at work,” Murray said. “Stay Out of Your Own Way looks at how we can present ourselves in confident ways and get out of the habit of second guessing what we’re doing.”
The use of practical application through body and verbal language, Murray said, allows women to be more confident in their day-to-day work life.
“We do some role playing, learn how to use gendered ways of communication and how to navigate these contradictions,” she said. “We want people to feel like it’s OK to be themselves again.”
Amanda Blake, a senior studying strategic communication, said the presentation allows women to appreciate positive feedback.
“Women have been brought up not to accept compliments when people are saying something positive,” Blake said. “It’s a good presentation on ways to combat that.”
There will be a variety of moods in the interactive media from serious to witty as the workshop will include an Amy Schumer skit because of the comedian’s relatability.
Blake said the range of appeal allows a variety of women to relate to the messages.
“There are a lot of people who could benefit from this workshop. It can address women at all levels,” she said. “It’s very intersectional and hearing different experiences and how you can tailor that to your own unique experiences.”
Morgenstern said workshops the Women’s Center offers can make women feel more in control of their future.
“These workshops challenge traditional modes of thinking, which is one of the ways change can be implemented on our campus and society,” she said. “By taking advantage of these workshops in the Women's Center, students can feel more prepared, aware and empowered to make a change in their future.”
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Morgenstern said she hopes the workshop will encourage the progress that’s needed to improve gender inequalities
“Based on the statistics, access for women in the 21st century job market is equal to that of men within the United States,” she said in an email. “Though we have come a long way in fighting for equal pay and rights for women in the workplace, we still have a long way to go.”
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