Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Interpretation
Women must work harder than men to be recognized as equals in capability.
This quote suggests that women face a higher standard of expectation in their accomplishments compared to men, as society often undervalues their contributions. However, it also implies that once women manage to meet or exceed these standards, their achievements shine all the brighter in overcoming societal biases.
In practice
In a discussion on women's rights during a conference.
American women of wealth, education, virtue and refinement, if you do not wish the lower orders of Chinese, Africans, Germans and Irish, with their low ideas of womanhood, to make laws for you and your daughters awake to the danger of your present position and demand that woman, too, shall be represented in the government!
Investing in women and girls may once have been considered a radical notion or even a waste of resources, but in most places in the world today, women and girls are increasingly recognized as a critical link to greater prosperity, political stability, better health and public policy.
The term 'glass ceiling' was coined in 1984. More than 20 years later, the ceiling has barely cracked. There isn't a single country in the world that has as many female as male politicians. In business, the situation is even worse. Its highest echelon - the board - remains a chauvinist's dream.
Research shows that women at that mid level tend to get promoted based on performance, and men tend to get promoted based on potential.
What works for men does not always work for women, because success and likability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. That's what the research shows. As a man gets more successful, everyone is rooting for him. As a woman gets more successful, both men and women like her less.
Women, who are a majority of the peoples of the earth, are indispensable to the accumulation of the kind of social capital that is conducive to development, peace, justice and civility.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.