The inherent problem of defining "lazy girl jobs"!
We have chosen a phrase with a bad meaning on purpose.
When we give self-defence silly names and then gender it, we create a bad impression that has unanticipated and serious repercussions.
In the past, women have been blamed for so-called feminization and even been infantilized in vital workplace transitions. It minimises our ability to alter the situations at the workplace for better performance and affects how others see us at work. Lack of initiative is not evidenced by a desire for work-life balance, "acting our wage," or a decision to avoid unhealthy workplaces. Saying "no" is not being idle. Setting limits is not being lazy.
The creator’s note:
The term's creator, 26-year-old influencer Gabrielle Judge, maintains she didn't mean any harm and that it refers to the experience of being so comfortable in your work that it almost makes you feel like you're being lazy. Take into account what is being said in this statement. It goes beyond the notion that working is a soul-crushing activity that has become the norm. Accepting that workers are sick of working in offices that the epidemic taught us are out-of-date and doing the work of several people for the same salary is a stretch, right? And why do we only label this as being lazy when we relate it to women? Recliners are the only thing that link "lazy" and "boys".
The power of Guilt.
The truth is that we need a word to describe how we feel when we are not pushing ourselves to the brink of mental and emotional exhaustion because women are so deeply ingrained in a culture of shame and guilt. In comparison to males, women are 20% more likely to feel guilty about taking paid time off and are more inclined to forgo using it. It all comes back to the idea that we must be doing something incorrectly if ladies are taking a nap. We can't and don't take a break. The same mentality drives women who make more money than their husbands or who are the only wage earners in the household to rush home from work and take care of the kids and the house as soon as they get there.
Women don't take naps.
But would we be so bold as to proclaim ourselves "lazy girl moms" or "lazy girl wives" and refuse to perform more than half of the household chores? Patriarchal values teach us to think that is firmly ingrained (internalised) in this situation. It fits into the toxic and ubiquitous notion that the more self-sacrifice we perform, the more valuable we become.
Men never explain things the way that women have been made to.
Using a gendered phrase to clarify or defend refusing to overwork ourselves is just another way to acknowledge guilt, shame, and a workplace environment where women are expected to perform more tasks for less pay. According to studies, women accomplish 10% more at work than men. I'm sure I speak for any woman who has ever had to assist in organising the office holiday party while his male equivalent sat on the sidelines. Women are typically given greater responsibilities because they will go above and beyond to prove their value, which compromises their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. What is the true kick in the groyne?
If these women are mothers or wives, they will be responsible for 37% more housework when they get home than their partners.
Why do women feel the need to define phrases for something we have been doing more and more of in the workplace for decades now—putting our foot down—in order to explain it? Furthermore, not a single male has ever attempted to defend or explain why he didn't contribute to the organisation of the corporate Christmas party.
