Business Woman

It's getting easier for a woman to get ahead in the world of business, but it's still tough in some quarters. A business woman is apt to feel sometimes that she has to be, not only as good as, but also better than her male counterparts. Most men seem comfortable with the idea of a business woman now. Not all men like having a female boss, however.

There will always be Neanderthals who think that giving women the vote was a blow for civilization. Some men like the idea of men only office environments, like some exclusive men's club. This is more of a generation thing, and younger men are generally more accepting of a business woman.

The juggling of home and career is a precarious affair for both men and women. It's still usually down to women to run the home and organize child care. A business woman is expected to do the same hours and take on the same responsibilities as the men. This can make combining work and children very demanding.

The worse thing a working woman can do is to try to take on the mantle of a man. A business woman can operate in the board room without losing any femininity; in fact femininity can be a bonus in some situations. The world of business is a hard, competitive place but it's not always playing hard ball that gets results.

There are many women in high flying positions now, in business and other professions. Some industries are still hard to get into, such as engineering and the technological sectors. People seem to still associate women with caring jobs such as nursing and social work. A business woman may also encounter the glass ceiling. This concept is only too real and women have found they can rise so far in an organization but no further. Jobs for the boys still operates in some quarters. Change is happening but it's always slow.

Young women need role models, women to aspire to as they start out on their chosen career. A business woman like Anita Roddick, who started the Body Shop chain, is bound to be an inspiration. Other successful women in the world of politics, show business and sport can inspire too.

Women will continue to be an important part of business and their role can only grow over the years. It's a very different world from the 1950s when women were expected to give up work when they married. It's been a long march from the typing pool.