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A series of comics takes a look at the struggles of being a woman in the workplace.

A satirical look at corporate culture unearths a major problem.

It's tough being a woman in the workplace, even (and perhaps especially) if you're the boss.

Reaching the top of the corporate ladder is a tough journey if you're a woman, with less than 5% of S&P 500 companies being led by female CEOs. To make it to the top, it's hard to know whether you're supposed to sit back, "lean in," speak up, or sit out — the world is filled with mixed messages for women in business. Women who do make it to the top face bias when it comes to things like pay and perception. Studies have found that while men in leadership positions are often viewed as "assertive," women with similar traits are "bitchy" or "shrill" or unlikeable.

This conundrum has spawned an entire industry dedicated to telling women what they're doing wrong and how they can subvert corporate culture.


Photo by iStock.

A recent series of comics by Sarah Cooper on her blog The Cooper Review perfectly satirizes the many "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Being Male" type articles found across the internet.

Her post, "9 Non-Threatening Leadership Strategies for Women," has racked up (as of this writing) more than 800,000 views in less than a week, a testament to the cultural nerve it struck. Interestingly, the article took its inspiration from another well-known source of American satire: The Onion.

"I was brainstorming for my next post and came across this headline I'd written down from The Onion: 'Woman Quickly Cycles Through Non-Threatening Voice Inflections Before Expressing Concern,' and from there I thought it would be funny to write a whole post about how women can be less 'threatening' in the workplace," Cooper tells Upworthy in an email, clarifying that "threatening" is in quotes "because I don't think women are threatening in the workplace, but are sometimes perceived that way if we are too direct/honest."

Cooper shared her idea with a small focus group of family and friends, who told her they liked the idea, but it made some of them feel "sad/angry." Her goal was to land in a place that was "just serious enough to feel honest and yet also just silly enough for people to know it's a joke."

"For the record: this is not serious advice!" she says.

The joke is that the "threatening" action is something managers do every day. For example, the first in the series handles how to set a deadline.

All illustrations by Sarah Cooper/The Cooper Review.

Of course, this comic isn't saying that men are actually and in real-life threatened by a woman saying, "This has to be done by Monday." That's a pretty standard thing for a manager to say. And, yet, women are more likely be labeled "unreasonable" for phrasing their request that way.

Many of the illustrations play on the common criticisms women face when it comes to public speaking.

And let's be clear: These criticisms are based on some deeply sexist notions. You'll find a number of posts online (and even here at Upworthy) about things women say that can cause their language to "lose its power," such as apologizing too often, speaking in self-deprecating terms, or appearing too cautious.

What's interesting, however, is that when men do the same thing, it's received in a completely different way. For example, a woman using vocal fry in her speech is often viewed as being unintelligent or unsure. When a man does it, however, it's considered perfectly normal.

The point is that the world is filled with some pretty tricky double standards, and it's on all of us — men, women, and everyone else — to take note.

Asked why she thought her post had gotten so much attention online, Cooper chalks it up to lived experience.

"I think it's the perfect storm of a topic people feel very passionately about (policing how women speak in the workplace) along with the fact that the post has enough truth in it to really resonate, in addition to being a little silly so that it makes people laugh," she says. "So many women (including me) identify with having to change how they talk at work and being frustrated when they get feedback that they're too aggressive, even as men do the same thing and it's just seen as confidence."

What can we do about this? Start by paying closer attention to how you interact with others in the workplace.

Do you react differently when a woman does something than when a man does? Whether it's on the basis of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, or other attributes, we all have our own biases baked into our existence that have been shaped by culture. Most of the time, we're not even aware we have them. These are called "implicit biases," which have been described by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity as follows:

"Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.  These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control.  Residing deep in the subconscious, these biases are different from known biases that individuals may choose to conceal for the purposes of social and/or political correctness.  Rather, implicit biases are not accessible through introspection."

Once you understand what biases you might have (Harvard University has a series of short, and free, tests that can be used as a start), you can begin to address them.

Photo by iStock.

Workplace sexism is — and will continue to be — an issue, but at least people like Sarah Cooper are helping the world have a laugh while highlighting the ongoing struggle.

On Oct. 4, 2016, Cooper's book, "100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings" comes out (and is available for preorder now). She can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and of course, at The Cooper Review.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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