Workplaces and their ever existing beauty and gender notions

Workplaces and their ever existing beauty and gender notions
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'Beauty with brains', a phrase used a little too much, has various connotations attached to it. More often than not, beauty with brains is considered to be a combination rare to find. This tells us a lot about the thinking process of our culture and people. Women across the globe have claimed at various points in time that they are not taken seriously or face stereotypes at their work places when they dress up and use makeup.

All the skills and talent a woman has, tend to get ignored and subsided when looks come into the image. Getting promoted or having salary raises are attributed to their beauty and not their talent. Even if the woman is more experienced and knowledgeable than the men in an office, she would be paid less than the men there.

We talked to a few women from different walks of life like the ones that are women-centric or the ones that are equally populated with men and women and came to a conclusion- it is true that beauty and work are a hard combination, but there are points that make us think- is everything that difficult?

Nidhi Sharma (General Manager, Lexus Cars)

Upon being asked about the behavior at her workplace she says, "There's always going to be people who try to bring you down, but the people who look up to you and aspire to be at that path of achievement compensate for the former. It is your attitude that will determine how you face it."

Have you ever received negative reaction pointing that your beauty led you to your high position? To this she says, "Never. I have worked very hard to reach where I am today and I have never faced any adverse reactions for it. It is your hard work that gets you to the top and not your beauty or face."

Kavita Sharma (Dietitian and nutritionist)

Have you ever come across the notion that a dietitian should be beautiful and thin and that is the only way someone can help another person?

"There are always more people who contact us for losing weight but our focus has always been on insisting them to become healthy. A healthy lifestyle leads to weight loss as a result." Being healthy indicates a person is very fit to work in their daily life and their workplace.

Ideal body shape – "Everyone is their own kind, staying healthy enough to have a good lifestyle and not to fuss over skinny or hourglass body shapes."

Do you have appointments with people who only wish to lose weight or someone who wishes to become healthy as well?

"There are always more people who contact us for losing weight but our focus has always been on insisting them to become healthy. A healthy lifestyle leads to weight loss as a result." Being healthy indicates a person is very fit to work in their daily life and their workplace.

As nutrition and dieting is considered as a female concentrated area, do you think men cannot excel here? "It is true that 80% of nutritionists and dietitians are females, but there are many male dietitians who are very renowned and successful. But their point of focus is always mostly physical exercise part."

Chandni Karir (Diamond Grader and Assorter)

Chandni Karir also shares her knowledge as a teacher at a university for grading and assorting of diamonds.

Do you see your workplace being gender specific or your students belonging to a certain gender? To this Chandni says, "It is an area of work where it is equally crowded with men and women. Since diamond is a woman's best friend, females can help out a woman better."

"There is an array of people from every age that study under me. Ranging from 18 year old to 45 year old, anyone can learn to do this, it is an area of work easy to learn and no one has ever pointed out that being beautiful makes us less talented or bad at our work."


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