That’s taking up a lot of my time right now.  We have been doing the training internally for about six months and using some terrific resources (DVDs made at Central Michigan) from CUPA and some documents that help demonstrate problems that make this topic still relevant.  

It interesting to encounter the curious and quizzical questions from some of the younger staff – women who have not had the challenges in the workplace that other generations of women had to endure.  Women have have paved the way for following generations of women in the workplace.  I think to some of the personal stories in my arsenal and a recent @twitter exchange with my friend Mike.  I like to think that I helped with the paving too. 

-my grandmother couldn’t tell her employer that she got married.  They fired women once they got married.  

-my grandmother was fired when her employer (IBM) found that she was pregnant. They could do that back then. 

-when I was in preschool, I was working on my project with finger paste.  The boy next to me took my paste. I asked for it back.  He ignored me. I punched him.  He cried. I got kicked out of preschool.  Pretty sure if it had been reversed, or two boys, the little boy wouldn’t have been kicked out.  

-when I was in first grade, a boy tried to hold my hand in recess line.  I told him no.  He kept holding. I broke his nose.  I got in trouble.  He didn’t.  

-when I was in my first real job, I worked for attorneys.  Before I could start my day, I had to listen to my boss recount his erotic dreams about me from the night before.  I had to quit.  We didn’t have protection back then.  Who would have believed me? 

I have a lot more than five of these examples.  But these are my favorites.  Sad and entertaining. The world is full of wronged parties.  And no, I didn’t punch the attorney.  Probably should have, huh?