Welcome to Undercover Feminist
My name is Kelly Seiler. I'm an electrical engineer working in the defense industry. I realized that there was an undercurrent of sexism present at work... no one person or attitude seemed to be the culprit. I've decided to learn more about feminism to help me better combat sexism without damaging my reputation. I consider myself an undercover feminist. I'm a feminist, but I avoid pointing things out directly.
Recommended Reading
An excellent feminist primer! At 118 pages this one is a quick read, but still jam packed with information. It will change your perspective about what feminism is really about compared to the mass media portrayal.
Get it: Amazon | Free Download
While not a strictly feminist read, this books has lots of good tips to consider in an office environment.
Tweet Blender
The #waronwomen in our states: Minnesota, Indiana Push "Defund Planned Parenthood" Initiatives - http://ow.ly/4Ecbr (via @RHRealityCheck)
1 year ago from HootSuite
Bedsider.org, the free birth control support network, is nominated for a Webby Award in the Health category! Vote here: http://ow.ly/4EwLY
1 year ago from HootSuite How’s that tea party working out for you? Not so great, it turns out: http://ow.ly/4Ec5p (via @theprospect)
1 year ago from HootSuite Donald Trump and being anti-choice: you're doing it wrong. Our take: http://ow.ly/4EtlL
1 year ago from HootSuite
@nwlc's Fatima Goss Graves will join @AAUW's conference call tomorrow on #EqualPay at 2:30pm EST - here's more info: http://ow.ly/4EsQC
1 year ago from HootSuite The best and the brightest! GOP hopeful Trump “guesses” there’s a Constitutional right to privacy: http://ow.ly/4EbYX (via @TPM)
1 year ago from HootSuite GOP, we have a problem: 84% oppose Paul Ryan’s attempt to gut Medicare - http://ow.ly/4EbN0 (via @ezraklein)
1 year ago from HootSuite
Honest Abe on the importance of getting tested. Sort of. http://bit.ly/9r3eNR #gytnow
1 year ago from HootSuite Smelling salts, please! Kay Hymowitz seriously thinks that more women attending college is bad? http://ow.ly/4EbJ3 (via @mattyglesias)
1 year ago from HootSuite What we’re reading: Roe v. Wade: Is it still the law of the land? http://ow.ly/4EbyA (by @Dahlialithwick)
1 year ago from HootSuite
Author Archives: Kelly
Marketing to Women? Make it Pink!
I saw some earplugs for sale today... out of the 4 packages one was clearly designed to capture the female market, yet had no special draw... other than being pink. Did you see what I did there... designed to capture the female market - not designed for women. Capturing the female market is big business since women account for 85% of consumer purchases. Thats a lot!
I'm so tired of what passes as marketing for women. Ok, lets make it pink. Yeah, uh nevermind any of the unique features that women might want (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/women-gadgets/). Maybe it works? Maybe some women think: oh, it's pink it must have been made just for me! Or a clever scheme to sell you one less set of earplugs for the same price. According to a study by the Consumer Electronics Association 59% of women don't want pink gadgets. Whoops.
Posted in body image, marketing, money, pink 8 Comments
Did You Know? Women Musicians
I was shocked to learn that it was widely believed that women couldn’t ‘do music’. In the 1970s the use of blind auditions – where the person auditioning could not be seen by the judges – dramatically increased the number of women hired into orchestras. At the time conductors of orchestras were on record saying [...]
Posted in Did You Know? 1 Comment
Did You Know? Barbie the Computer Engineer
Did you know that Barbie’s new career is a computer engineer? Awesome! Especially considering that in 1994 one of talking Barbie’s soundbites was “Math is hard!”
While I’m not really a fan of Barbie or hot pink I still love Barbie’s new career. I’m not really worried that girls like me won’t become engineers. [...]
Posted in Did You Know?, STEM 5 Comments
OMG, she is like so pretty
As a woman being stupid and dumb is almost part of the American Dream. After all
stupid + pretty = husband
and
husband = house + 2.4 kids
and
husband + house + 2.4 kids = happiness
…right?
Additionally, there are powerful advertising forces at work telling women they need to be stupid and pretty. Pretty women need lots [...]
Posted in body image, money 4 Comments
Did You Know? Women’s Property Rights
Did you know that in the 1800s American patents awarded to women listed their name as the wife of Mr. so-and-so. Women were not legally able to hold property, enter into contracts, or control a variety of other legal matters until the 1840s to 1890s. Patents fell under this general rule. Many women inventors will [...]
Posted in Did You Know?, money Comments closed
Don’t tell them you’re pregnant
Here’s the thing. Once people at work know you’re pregnant they start assuming all kinds of things. She’ll never come back, she doesn’t care about her career now, whatever whatever. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you’re going to be pregnant for 9 months — that’s 3/4 of a year. So, maybe you’re [...]
Posted in career Comments closed
Did you Know? Women Wearing Pants
Did you know that historically women were not allowed to wear pants in a professional environment. That’s right. Not allowed. The whole concept of not being able to wear pants at work is preposterous to me. So completely foreign that I can’t even really understand it.
To me pants are more professional than skirts. You’re not [...]
Posted in Did You Know?, body image, career Comments closed
The Comment That Started it All
This was the written culmination of an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for some time now. Why is it that when you think of a feminist you think of an angry, jaded, obstructionist complainer? That isn’t what feminism is about! It’s about having more choices and freedom. [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Comments closed
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