Beyond Stereotypes- Empowering Women in Society

In this podcast episode, the host explores the stereotypes that women face in various environments. They speak to three women who share their experiences of discrimination and challenges. One woman discusses the stereotypes she faces in her STEM field and how men are seen as more approachable and educated. Another woman talks about the lack of support she received compared to her brothers when she was in college. The third woman, a real estate agent, discusses the male dominance in certain industries and how she feels the need to stand out in a room full of men. The episode concludes with a call to reflect on stereotypes and work towards breaking them down. Welcome to Align Live Podcast, where we amplify the voices and experiences of our women community. I'm your host, Ashley Lewis, and today's episode is dedicated to exploring the pervasive stereotypes that women face and how we challenge them in professional and unprofessional environments. From the classroom to the workspace, women encounter a myriad of stereotypes that impact their lives in profound ways. To shed light on this issue, I sat down with one junior student, one human developing degree graduate, and a real estate agent to hear different perspectives. Let's dive in and how us women have been challenged. So I am currently enrolled in Wright College Prep. I work in more of a STEM field. I don't, I'm not going to major in the STEM field, but I am majoring in business. So I still deal with math classes and science classes, and I realize it's finally kind of having women in the field. And even if they're in the field, it still feels like men are still looked at as more approachable and more educated compared to women. And I feel like women have to work way harder to even prove themselves. Another thing, like going outside to my personal life, I would say I am a daughter of two sisters. So I don't have a brother whatsoever. So I never actually understood the comparison that a mother will put on a son and a daughter. But I did live through a woman's job, meaning that I had to clean, I had to cook while I saw my father sitting on the seat and smoking a cigar while I'm here crying, a six-year-old trying to broom, and I can't fit a broom in my tiny hands. So I did experience that discrimination and stereotype when it comes to women. And the other thing I would say that I would struggle with as a woman in her personal life is walking down the streets and feeling unsafe just because I'm a woman. I went to UIC for the College of Education under Human Development and Learning. As a Latina woman, my experience with it was pretty difficult because I felt like I also had a learning disability, so people didn't really take that seriously. I did have an issue with a few professors who wouldn't take my accommodations seriously. Going back to more personal life, I have three brothers and one younger sister. So when I was in college, my struggles weren't taken as seriously as my brother's. So I majorly saw my mom support my older brother and my younger brother for school, and a majority of her attention went there. She did help me with financial aid, which gave me some sense of guilt because I felt like, oh, at least she's helping me with something. But it was kind of difficult to look back at and see how I needed the support, I needed the love, and I needed the help. And you would think that your family was going to be supportive of you being their first born, not first born, first daughter or first kid to graduate university. But I feel like she was more proud to see her sons getting to university than it was for me to even graduate. It's unfortunate that most attention was taken away from us at a young age. If we did have some attention towards us, it was over some woman expectations like cleaning and cooking and being in school. I noticed you both spoke about your mothers and how they implemented these very traditional norms and let the boys in the house do as they please. Those actions only support the stereotypes we try to challenge these days, as it can be anyone's job to clean and cook. Unfortunately, these experiences happen during a different decade of awareness. Moreover, you both also spoke about stereotypes being deeply ingrained in a certain field. I believe in challenging these stereotypes and promoting positive representations of women. We can create a more inclusive society for all. Thank you so much, Cassie and Jasmine, for joining in on my podcast. My main guest for tonight is Karina Lewis, a real estate agent with years of experience starting from such a young age. Would you be willing to share any insights or experiences regarding this perspective? My name is Karina Lewis. I believe women are capable of working a white or blue collar job if we truly desire. However, numbers show in some industries that there's male dominance. At the top of my head, the industries are auto body pilots, developers, contractors, and home inspectors. Personally, it has not affected me in the professional industry, since there is a lot of women. That's very insightful, Karina. It conveys to our listeners how it is in the real world of business. Moreover, it's great to see that 56% of real estate agents are female and 44% of real estate agents are male in the United States. Do you encounter stereotype challenges in your office or working with other workers like loan officers, inspectors, lawyers, or any more you can speak upon? Out of my office, I can feel the difference and the weight on my shoulders. It's not so drastic, but I do feel the need to stand out in a room where I see no other supporting woman, but only men. I'm not surprised that percentages change once we discuss individuals who create and build these homes and give you, the real estate agents, the job to sell. 33.1% of real estate developers are women and 66.9% real estate agents are, sorry, developers are men, showcasing a closer look at dynamics of real estate agency. Now, it's showing us the difference between fighting for a seat at the table and being a distinct advantage with clients. Thank you so much, Karina, for joining us today. As we wrap up this episode, I urge each of you to reflect on stereotypes that you may hold and the impact it had on you and women in your community. Together, we can break down barriers, defy expectations, and empower women to thrive in every aspect of their lives. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey of discovery and advocacy. Be sure to subscribe to Align.I Voices for more thought-provoking conversations on issues affecting our society and beyond. Until next time, let's continue challenging those stereotypes.