This monthly column is a special collaboration between the Optical Women’s Association and OM. The focus: enhancing opportunities and education for women in optometry.

When I was 7 years old, I sold coloring book pages door-to-door in Los Angeles. My parents expected each of our eight family members to pull their own weight. There were no gender roles in our home: We all put an addition on to our house, worked on cars and chopped wood. When I moved out at age 17, I was self-sufficient. I never gave much thought to the idea that my perception of myself would differ from others’ perceptions of me.

As I entered college in the late ’90s, and narrowed my focus on the sciences, the disparity between men and women came into focus. Women made up an alarmingly small percentage of these classes. This theme continued, as my career progressed: Women didn’t hold many technical jobs or management positions. When I started to manage wholesale laboratories, I found myself actively curing skepticism around my abilities, despite excellent business results.

BY THE NUMBERS

In 2016, women made up 46.8% of the labor force, while men made up 53.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite this, women account for only 34.3% of managers, while a managerial role is the second-most-common occupation for men, who account for 65.7% of managers. The most common occupation for women in 2015 was school teacher (elementary and middle school), followed by registered nurses and secretaries and administrative assistants.

While the eye care industry is unique, with more women graduating from optometry school than men today (i.e. SUNY College of Optometry’s female students currently make up 72% of its population), there are steps each of us can take to increase parity among men and women.

HOW TO EFFECT CHANGE

• Confront our biases. Cast a wider net when seeking qualified candidates. This does not mean preferential treatment, but creating the space for diversity and fair play in all aspects, knowing that the result will serve our customers and shareholders far better than it would otherwise.
• Be mentally strong. It took me some time before I realized issues, such as skepticism at my technical skills, belonged to the person in front of me and said nothing about me. I find that positive self-talk helps, but in some cases, politely confronting the behavior is necessary. If a manager or colleague asks you who is taking care of your kids while you are on a business trip or asks you to complete administrative tasks in every meeting, you don’t have to answer/comply. I tend to use humor and assumptive language (e.g. “I was just thinking the same thing, who is watching your kids?” and “I played secretary last time, it’s John’s turn”), but you can also say, “No, thank you,” and tell the person how what he said makes you feel.
• Support other women. Our differing perspectives and inputs are vital to our businesses, especially in male-dominated departments. Diverse groups of decision makers often lead to more results-oriented thinking, more cohesive and productive teams and better business results, according to data from Cloverpop, a business tracking software. Recognize this and support increasing diversity in your business.

BE YOURSELF

Be your whole, authentic self. Contribute despite the challenges and setbacks. Support each other, and demand progress. OM

MS. MEDLAND worked for a family business in Long Beach, Calif., that was purchased by Essilor in 2002. She stayed with Essilor, turning around labs, jumping in on mergers and acquisitions and is now vice president of operational excellence.