A Tale of Two Men

I know a man who doesn’t believe that sexism exists.

This isn’t, in itself, unusual.   Many men – and women – turn a blind eye to the global presence of sexism, despite mountains of evidence.  There are also legions who do acknowledge sexism, but who are eager to proclaim that “it’s not that bad” or that “it’s getting better.”

But I want to focus on this particular man, the man I know who doesn’t believe sexism exists (as if sexism is a religion that demands faith in order to have legitimacy).  He is highly educated with two advanced degrees from Harvard.  He is, by all standards, successful, smart, well-traveled and open-minded about a whole array of other global issues.

He prides himself on being rational, a man of logic.  When asked about any other subject, he assiduously relies on evidence, data, studies to draw conclusions and make decisions.   But when it comes to sexism, he finds creative ways to dismiss the data.   For example, he will concede pay inequity exists but he rushes to defend its presence with rationalizations that make the head spin.

There’s another man:   Marc Benioff.   He’s the CEO of Salesforce, a large, successful software company that employs 30,000 people.  About a month ago, CBS’ 60 minutes profiled Benioff, focusing on his commitment to bring pay-and-opportunity equity to all Salesforce employees.

In 2017, Salesforce’s Human Resources Chief presented Benioff with some unpleasant news.  She had conducted a company-wide salary audit which revealed that Salesforce’s women earned 20% less than the men who were performing the same job.  The audit also revealed that promotions for men took 18 to 24 months while promotions for women took 24 to 48 months.  Benioff confessed that he was shocked upon learning this.  He prided himself on being a leader and an advocate on progressive issues, including battling sexism, so he assumed that his company treated every employee the same.

When he received evidence to the contrary, he set about rectifying the situation at a cost to Salesforce’s bottom line.   And he didn’t stop there.  Every year Salesforce buys many smaller companies, and in the process, imports the sexist cultures of those companies.  Benioff charged his HR department to audit each of these companies and to make the changes necessary to ensure pay-and-opportunity equity for all.

A tale of two men.   Both educated, intelligent and successful.   One impervious to facts;  one in service to them.

I’ve noticed that many educated men construct their masculinity around a belief that they possess superior logic, that their thinking is never muddled by emotion (i.e. a womanly faculty).   Appealing to this vanity is one tactical prong in the struggle for equality.  But I’ve also noticed that facts, evidence and data are often no match against entrenched bias.  Benioff is unique.  That’s precisely why he warranted a 60 Minutes story.

Pay-and-opportunity inequity is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.   Below the surface, irrational fears and hatred of all-things-female continue to churn, impervious to logic.  And until there are more Benioffs — a critical mass of Benioffs to tip the scale — it is below-the surface, in this roiling, where the most impenetrable battles lie.