Editorial
Have women really come far in this industry ?
Thoughts and experiences on a complex topic
Filomena Tamburri
Deborah Corn , the director of the Print Media Center in the U . S . and the self-styled Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse , recently wrote a blog addressing sexual harassment in the industry . It ’ s getting a lot of attention and support all over the internet .
" How many penises have you seen in your workplace ?" she asks in The ugly truth of print shows , penises and # MeToo . Her number is two . It should have been zero .
Happily , I can report that for me the answer to her question is zero . But with men in high places grabbing headlines and body parts seemingly without restraint , and with one of our own columnists tackling the issue of female representation , I ’ d like to add my thoughts to this fraught and complex topic .
First off , I can say I have experienced no sexual harassment in this industry . None . The vast majority of men I ’ ve known over the years have been professional , supportive and , yes , gentlemanly . Most of them have been a pleasure to know , and some have become cherished friends .
But we women talk and I know that my experience is not universal . We know who the “ handsy ” men are and I ’ m sure my “ press ” badge and the media access I have has protected me to some extent . People tend to be on their best behaviour when there ’ s a tape recorder around .
Sexism still lives and it ’ s corrosive But I have seen and experienced sexism . Sexism is subtle . It is not threatening like active harassment , but over time it is demoralizing , deflating and just tiring , even if the perpetrators are otherwise well-meaning and blithely unaware of their actions and their impact .
How does sexism manifest ? A few examples :
I have been with small groups of men and invariably one of them will turn his back to me and , almost unthinkingly , physically exclude me from the conversation . Or my comments will be glossed over , talked over , and practically ignored . This happens more often than you might think , in both business and social settings .
It ’ s hard to quantify , but most women in this industry recognize that the old boys ’ network is alive and well . We cope by rolling our eyes . I have seen reports and studies , and heard presentations that paint a rosy picture for women , but my experience tells me the hue of progress is a little more faded .
Most men don ’ t have to walk the aisles at tradeshows and look at male booth bunnies in scanty outfits or walk by lifesize posters of bikini-clad males arched provocatively over motorized devices . They don ’ t have to hear women make sexual comments about those studs , and they don ’ t have to witness groups of women openly ogling and appraising those bunny assets .
I ’ d venture few men have walked into a print shop and seen posters of half-naked men showing off gleaming abs . I ’ ve seen lots of posters of naked women and often wondered how the females in those plants cope with it . Or why they should have to .
Women are not being pills when they complain about this . If the only female images the industry can reflect back to us is of naked , photoshopped , bodies , we all – men included – internalize the message that women are objects .
I have heard managers grumble that they hesitate to hire women of a certain age because they may go off and have children . When the federal government passed legislation to extend maternity leave for up to a year , this industry officially came out against that because it would be too hard for business . What message do you think that sent to me ?
It ’ s great to see that so many young women are studying graphic communications . But after almost two decades in this industry , I haven ’ t really seen a significant improvement in the number of females in executive positions . Where are those women ?
I have had few female role models in this industry . Mary Black , former head of the graphics communications program at Ryerson University stands out as an exception . She was tough , gutsy and made things happen . She was supportive . I don ’ t know where young women look for mentors today .
None of these experiences , taken alone and out of context , is cause for severe castigation of the industry . But repeated and experienced over years , they do have a cumulative effect . And that is to signal to women that we are just a little bit less and our road will be a little harder .
I actually do know the environment for women has improved substantially from a few decades ago and as an industry we have made great strides . But we have to continue to be vigilant about what lies below a polished-up surface , and be aware of how seemingly inconsequential actions can set a disconcerting tone .
Filomena Tamburri is editor-in-chief of Graphic Arts Magazine . She can be reached at filomena @ graphicartsmag . com
6 | December 2017 / January 2018 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE graphicartsmag . com