Being a Woman in Business Life

The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point in world history in terms of women’s participation in paid working life. From that period onward, the term businesswoman gradually began to take its place in everyone’s collective memory.
As industrial societies progressed toward becoming information societies, they gradually had to include women in working life. This was because women were capable of being intelligent and organized enough to anticipate and mentally rehearse the day ahead. In Türkiye, for example, women make up half of the population. The rate of women employed in senior management positions is 9.3%. This figure is significantly higher in the private sector. It is widely believed that as these numbers increase, the level of prosperity in the country will also rise.
In 2003, a commercial jingle that captured people’s subconscious left a lasting impression in collective memory: “I can have both a child and a career.” Although many women adopted this slogan as a guiding idea for achieving their own aspirations, it also encountered the long-standing prejudices of a male-dominated mindset that has persisted from the past to the present. Now consider this: you have ideals, desires, and things you want to achieve. But one of the people holding such prejudices against these goals is your own spouse. What kind of approach would you take in such a situation? This is an ideological struggle powerful enough to push a woman into choosing between her professional life and her marriage. Unfortunately, many men allow women to participate in working life on the condition that they do not neglect their domestic responsibilities. This is because, unlike the concept of a “working woman,” there is no equivalent expectation of a “working man” in the same sense.

Women have entered into a struggle to find space for themselves and establish their existence within a male-dominated order. While working life has contributed to women’s dignity and economic independence, traditional attitudes have made this effort to exist more difficult. Women were expected to be reserved: they should not laugh too much, should speak less, and should “carry themselves” in a restrained manner. While such limits were imposed on women, the idea of placing similar constraints on men did not occur to anyone. While a woman is struggling both with her inner world and with expectations about “what others will say,” she is often forced to take steps accordingly. Because in Türkiye, when a woman advances in her career and becomes successful, people tend to search for reasons other than her intelligence, competence, or skills. If you are a working woman, the idea that you achieved this through your own abilities is often seen as almost impossible.
The number of countries recognized by the United Nations is 193, and among them, 19 are led by women. Although some men hold the view that women are too emotional for working life, even suggesting they are as fragile as a strand of hair, women have not given up on being strong. Take, for example, Angela Merkel, a scientist by training and also the first female Chancellor of Germany. Her nickname was “Mutti,” meaning “mother.” And the so-called “mother” was named the most powerful woman in the world.

Strong women are always a cornerstone for society. And remember, women hold up half the sky.