Dear Everybody, Please Stop Shaming Successful Women

Body shaming, slut shaming, gender shaming, parent shaming… how many women have never fallen victim to any of those? And don’t you dare them to run a company, make a ton of money, lead a huge team, win a prestigious competition, raise some good people, or create a masterpiece — then the nasty one elegantly waltzes in:

Behold the ever-popular success shaming.

Shaming comes from a place of deep insecurity. And what can make people more insecure than a woman succeeding at a tough job, whatever it may be.

Because we know that on average women are physically weaker. We know that their starting line is often not the same as it is for their male peers. We know that, to win in a world ruled by men, they need to double, triple, or quintuple their efforts. We know that the gender pay gap is real. We know that they often hold more jobs at once, among others that of a child birther, a parent, and an executive household manager.

How could she even pull it off?

Maybe she’s too pretty. Or too ugly.

Nothing in between.

Maybe she was born into a family with money.

Obvs.

Maybe she simply slept her way to the top.