Women And Leadership Course at GW's GSPM

Welcome to the 2010 Summer semester blog on women in political leadership. Content will include discussion about the books read in class as well as the politics of the day. Blogging is an important skill and vital to engaging more women in politics. This blog is intended as an educational tool to all women and men interested in promoting women in politics.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Woman fired from Citibank for attire

This is less about politics, but related. I'll paste the most egregious excerpt here from the NY Post (for more read the full article in title link):

"In blatantly discriminatory fashion, plaintiff was advised that as a result of the shape of her figure, such clothes were purportedly 'too distracting' for her male colleagues and supervisors to bear. The sexy single mom pointed out to her bosses "that other female colleagues wore similar professional attire," and that some dressed far more provocatively, the filing says. But her supervisors shot back that those women didn't have to worry about turning them on "as their general unattractiveness rendered moot their sartorial choices, unlike plaintiff," the papers say."

I found this because I often work with financial firms at my job. Just thought it's an interesting "other side" to the sexism in dressing discussion we've been having. Kagan was criticized for dressing "conservatively" whereas this woman has been punished for being too feminine (to put it in P.C. language!).

Looking through the pictures of her - there's no doubt she's a beautiful woman. But as long as she's dressing in work appropriate clothes, it's insane to say she needs to dress even more conservatively because the mostly male office she worked in couldn't handle themselves.

It's sort of disheartening to read something like this. Whether you're preference is for conservative clothing, pant suits or fashion, it's like you can't win.

2 comments:

Alex D said...

I think Sabrina's post on Dowd's Op-Ed on this issue ties into a lot of the questions that you raised here.

I wonder what anyone thinks about the new development with this today:

(I claim no responsibility for the offensive/blatant nature of Fox's news title)

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/06/10/sexy-banker-debrahlee-lorenzana-wanted-melons-playboy/

It seems like most people are using this discovery as a way to undermine her claims for being fired. Personally, I don't see exactly why it matters that she wanted to be in Playboy or that she wanted to alter her body -- she shouldn't have been fired.

I guess its just an interesting additional angle to this issue...

Unknown said...

I hadn't seen that! But I completely agree. She may be undermining her own efforts at positioning herself as more than what her former bosses said she was by doing this... but it's still not a reason to be fired. What people do in their private time is not subject for firing, neither is having too 'buxom' a body.