APRIL 24 — In her book Against Meritocracy: Culture, Power and the Myths of Mobility, sociologist Jo Littler critiques what she calls ‘neoliberal feminism’ — the idea that women can succeed in male-dominated spaces simply by working hard and being ambitious. Personalities like tech executive Sheryl Sandberg, known for the Lean In movement, embody this vision. But Littler argues that this perspective ignores systemic discrimination and disadvantages working-class women, women of certain ethnicity, disabled women and other marginalised groups.
Littler was also of the opinion that mainstream media and, I would add, corporate culture only celebrate “exceptional” or high-achieving women who succeed despite obstacles, reinforcing the idea that success and failure is a personal rather than a structural issue.
Herein lies the problem. For as long as women define and measure success according to conventional standards, such as becoming a CEO, a successful entrepreneur, or the first person to achieve something, the focus remains on breaking symbolic glass ceilings rather than addressing the deeper structural barriers that sustain inequality.
For privileged women, particularly those of higher social class, the response to justify their worth and to counter the disadvantages and challenges they face due to their gender is to throw themselves into the meritocratic race, competing for the same rewards while downplaying the class privileges that made this possible.
Sheryl Sandberg, the face of ‘Lean In’ feminism, remains a symbol of meritocratic success — one that critics argue overlooks the structural barriers many women still face. — Reuters pic
What is even more unfortunate is that, as a result of this race to the top and the rhetoric of personal effort and merit, there is a tendency to shy away from or altogether avoid honest discussions about removing and challenging the structural barriers that prevent many capable individuals not just women who may be mothers or daughters, but also men, caregivers, and people with disabilities from participating meaningfully in society.
This partly explains why, despite more women in senior roles, progress toward a more flexible, inclusive workplace for everyone has been slow. It also explains why the idea of work-life balance is often viewed and dismissed as unproductive.
As hard or unrealistic as it may be, it is worthwhile to re-examine and challenge this view. In a world where reaching the top is possible only for a select few, it is even more important to acknowledge and celebrate the many women who choose different paths, raising families, starting home businesses, or caring for elderly or ill family members. Their contributions are just as valuable to society, if not more.
I hesitated to write this, having shared similar thoughts before. However, after watching and reading about the various events and discussions surrounding International Women’s Day this month, I feel it is worth sharing some of my personal thoughts and observations, if only to get them off my chest. It was encouraging to see more conversations about the challenges women face, such as access to care work and health services.
At the same time, however, it was somewhat uninspiring and disappointing to see the girlboss and hustle culture narrative still being promoted at large in some spaces, especially by women in the corporate arena.
I am aware of the privilege that allows me the time to reflect and write. Still, I hope for growing awareness of the many intersections — gender, class, disability, ethnicity and greater empathy.
Not everyone and certainly not every woman starts from the same place. By listening to the everyday stories of women, we gain insights statistics cannot offer and shift the conversation from merit to fairness.
* Shakira Teh Sharifuddin is a PhD candidate in Sociology of Education.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
