Where do you think the phrase “man up” comes from, and why do you think it references getting things done?
If I were you, I would question this phrase before adding it to my lexicon.
Did you know that the world over, women do most of the work, and get paid the least? It’s true!
Ask the UN, and they’ll say:
“Globally, women’s participation in the labour market remained steady in the two decades from 1990 to 2010, whereas that for men declined steadily over the same period; the gender gap in labour force participation remains considerable at all ages except the early adult years.”
“Women spend at least twice as much time as men on domestic work, and when all work – paid and unpaid – is considered, women work longer hours than men do.” –DESA
Want more statistics and more context? Full report here.
In the US, according to an April 2010 article in TIME magazine, “U.S. (Caucasian) women still earned only 77 cents on the male dollar in 2008, according to the latest census statistics. (That number drops to 68% for African-American women and 58% for Latinas).”
And in the UK, The Economist says: Women who work full-time earn, on average, 17% less per hour than men working full-time. For women who work part-time, the gap in pay relative to full-time men is a huge 38% per hour.
So reading all of these statistics makes me really mad. How about you? How are YOU going to combat the gender pay gap?
So, do you want to MAN UP or LADY UP? Why is “success” a male attribute, according to this phrase? Why isn’t it also a female attribute? How can we challenge the assumptions inherent in this?
Instead of automatically going for “Man up” in your next conversation when you’re asking someone to get something done, why not try “Lady Up” instead?
It’s more accurate.
What do you think is the source of the gender pay gap?
Want to start a new catchphrase with me?