The issue of gender inequalities in the workplace is something we have been debating as a society, especially between men and women, and there are other minorities as well. Today I want to focus on the role of self-knowledge – and emotional intelligence, which is an intrinsic part of it –; because the fact is that the more a human being develops their self-awareness, the more capable they will be of creating equal opportunities for everyone regardless of gender.
All prejudices separate us; it's like having a mental visor with significant social damage. It's like looking through a door's peephole and seeing only a small part of reality; limited, when we could see the entire environment. Prejudice is that; reducing people and their potentials to a gender perspective alone; as if that made them better or worse than each other.
We know that the world is collaborative. Men and women can and do form a beautiful partnership; therefore, measuring someone's potential in any area of life based on gender is a great fallacy. In reality, we are different and complementary. Women's neurological constructions are different from men's, and this is very positive for us to unite, each according to their physiology, our potential. What definitely no longer fits is an old and outdated competition. Resistance is an old paradigm that can be overcome through self-knowledge.
What we carry as prejudice today is outdated. It is what we still "carry over" from previous generations, for example, that determined that at 50 or 60 years old a person was old, preparing for retirement. Do you feel this way? Often, the woman herself experiences these beliefs. Let's think that it is still very new to have people over 50 in the labor market, active, in our society – regardless of gender. This is a context that also invites us to a new perspective on capacities, performances, and results – we have young people who are not using their potential and we have 50+ individuals who are at the peak of their competence. Innovation brings the freshness of what no longer fits into society; therefore, yes, everyone can reinvent themselves in life and work, have the ability to be productive, and deliver results of the highest performance.
Have you ever stopped to think that what we live today is the result of old choices? Our history books answer old questions, and now life invites us to a great opportunity for change. It is with this openness that we need to look at people, regardless of age, gender, and color. This is the true evolution and revolution we need to promote, and we are in this moment! Everything begins with dissatisfaction and dialogue to reach a new place – with the first conversation being with ourselves.
In the face of all the difficulties and problems that, yes, will exist in our lives, we need to ask ourselves: "Very well, what do I do with this?" If we do not first bring this self-awareness, we will not see the ability to better handle what happens to us, nor to promote change. We will always have questions and expect the solutions to be realized by "others".
Self-knowledge makes us dive inward, bringing awareness and ways to recycle our behaviors, especially the "dusty" ones. And emotional intelligence is fundamental; it is what brings us together, connects us, imagines, and creates the world of tomorrow. And we all want a peaceful world. However, in a scenario of prejudices and old responses to new problems, this will not happen.
Innovating is the answer! We don't have it exactly yet, precisely because we need to find it, and mainly, it is those who are experiencing the problem who do so, gaining greater awareness of this need. There are those who are already part of this movement – whether the 50+, women, or each of us who awakens to this movement –; we all have the responsibility to build new possibilities to live in this world of togetherness. Therefore, a more advanced world!
