Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Heroines

Tonight I heard an inspiring story. A woman I know was being harassed by a colleague at work. The colleague was being verbally abusive. She would go off on her and yell and curse and be mean and critical. The woman who was being targeted and bullied spoke to her boss many times and repeatedly expressed concern about her colleague's inappropriate behavior. Nothing was done. Other members of the team experienced this colleague's inappropriate behavior yet none to the extent of the woman I am writing about. She began to fear for her safety, as did other members of the team. This is a woman who is used to taking control of a situation and forging ahead doing what needs to be done. Instead she stepped back and allowed herself the support of her team. Together they went to the teachers' union and their feelings that their safety was being compromised were validated. The union people agreed to set up a meeting with the school administration. The next day the colleague kicked in this woman's file cabinet and damaged another person's file cabinet, too. Now there was concrete evidence of the lack of safety in the workplace. That was Thursday. That night they got together and stayed late after work to write a letter stating they wouldn't be coming to work the next day. Nor would they return until their safety could be protected. They sent the e-mail to their boss, the HR people, the union, and the superintendent of the school district. The six women then asked for a meeting to be held the following Monday which included themselves and all of the people who received the letter.
It took great courage to risk their jobs to stand behind their truth. As a community they empowered themselves to ask for what they wanted and to impose natural consequences if their safety wasn't protected. The meeting was called. The women were clear and direct about what they wanted and needed. The bullying colleague was asked to leave her job and not return. They were taken seriously and security measures were taken to ensure safety. The six women returned to work more connected to each other than ever before. They knew they had created change in a system traditionally very resistant to change. They had done it by pulling together and supporting each other with what they knew was needed to take care of themselves. The woman I know inspired all the others by the way she handled herself in this very challenging situation. She felt in touch with her capabilites in a way that was very healing for her. It is easy for women and people in general to sacrifice ourselves. It is easier to pretend that things are OK than to stand up and confront things that are not OK. These women went up against a system and created safety for themselves and for the children they work with. It was a great service. In a society where women are encouraged to sacrifice their own needs to take care of others needs, these women learned that taking care of their own needs takes care of others' needs.
I have a notepad from the organization Women for Women, a group that gives small loans to women in developing countries to start their own small businesses. "One woman can change anything. Many women can change everything." These heroines proved that to be true. I believe this is true of people in community. When we band together to support each other we have the ability to change both ourselves and the world. What is important to you that you want to stand up for? How could you get support for this?

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