No matter what he tries to do, Donald Trump just cannot do right by women. Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes he’s trying to do right by us. But as his administration begins to consult with experts and develop policies to address America’s challenges, it’s astounding how much everything he touches is laced with misogyny and male privilege.
In the most recent example of his knuckle-dragging, Neanderthal approach to gender equity, he has planned a Friday meeting to be advised on women in the workplace—with two male CEOs. Yes, you read that right. His meeting to learn about the issues of women in the workplace will not actually include any women.
Wow. In 2017, women can’t even get a seat at the table to talk about their own experiences. Can we say out of touch? This feels like watching Mad Men all over again. Except Trump (who embodies the raging misogyny of the 1960s perfectly well) doesn’t have the charm and looks of Don Draper.
Doug McMillon, chief executive of Wal-Mart, and Mark Weinberger, chief executive of EY, will advise Trump on the issues, though it's not clear what exactly they'll be discussing. Additional topics include "regulation" and "infrastructure," according to the Journal.
How fitting. Men advising the president on women’s issues but they don’t really know what they will be talking about. That’s certainly in congruence with what we’ve seen coming from this administration in its first two weeks—talking a lot about “stuff” but saying very little. And how exactly does regulation and infrastructure fit in to a discussion about women in the workplace? Not that it really needs to be said, but this whole thing makes absolutely no sense.
Once again, the administration proves it’s completely inept. Hopefully, this meeting doesn’t result in a decision that really takes us back to the days of the 1950s and 1960s when women at work meant we could only be in the secretarial pool. As much fun as it may be to watch on TV, let’s leave that time period (and its backward mentality) back in history where it belongs.