The Female Disruption

By Yingzi Yuan

"The Female Disruption" by Yingzi YUAN is a powerful and thought-provoking guidebook for women in business who want to challenge the status quo and make their voices heard.

 

Yuan takes the reader on a captivating voyage through history, unraveling the biases and misconceptions that have hindered women's progress for centuries. From the conditioning of girls to the misconceptions propagated by popular culture, Yuan illuminates the hurdles that women face in the workplace and beyond.

Moreover, Yuan presents practical solutions and inspiring tales of women who have shattered the barriers to accomplishing success. She emboldens her readers to be bold, driven, and empowered, to in turn empower other women.

 

"The Female Disruption" encompasses chapters on self-awareness, introspection, and transcending limitations, rendering it a guidebook for women who aspire to effect change in their lives and the world.

 

The world is changing, and so are the expectations and opportunities for women in business. "The Female Disruption" aims not only to shed light on these issues and provide a platform for addressing a wide range of questions that hindered all females but also to provide a roadmap for women who want to take control of their careers and create a better future for themselves and other women.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yingzi Yuan
• Release date: May 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223442820

Book preview

Preface: The Time of the Awakened Women

Being a woman working at the intersection of technology and the creative industry, I have always found myself to be in the minority in most rooms.

The journey of entrepreneurship has been the most fulfilling part of my life, even though I have also experienced some unsavory moments, such as when some new male business partners subconsciously regard me as having a supportive role during meetings, addressing my male colleague directly, assuming for granted that the male is the decision-maker. Until then I start speaking up and take the leading role in the conversation, they would have a slight raise of an eyebrow as if he was surprised to see this change of dynamics.

These stories are not unique. I have heard many similar stories from female executives who have encountered such situations during meetings. In these situations, I used to question myself, wondering if I should do better, dress differently, or express myself louder, clearer, and earlier.

The time I spent in the film industry has been the peak period of my self-doubt and self-diminishment. This hundreds-years old showbusiness is used to objectify women and even today, when we have relatively more female directors and a lot more female producers, females are still too commonly regarded as decoration in this industry.

During my days in the gaming sector, there has been a wave of anti-harassment and anti-misogyny campaigns. Female workers have revealed shocking stories and misconduct, which exposed a culture of sexism in male-dominated industries and communities.

As women, we have a wealth of stories to tell, of our struggles with sexual exploitation, patriarchal corporate culture, societal inequality, and the internalized male gaze. I struggle to define my existence as a woman and contemplate the depths of my being. At times, facing some seemingly innocent misogynist behavior in the workplace, I struggle to decide if I should call it out or just be quiet and smile.

I am not content with this fate. I want to search for answers, for clarity, for the scientific theory and historical reason behind this struggle and self-doubt. But if we continue to speak solely from this place of victimhood, we risk becoming stagnant, mundane, and ultimately, hindrances to our own progress. We need to use theoretical knowledge to constantly become a better and more clear-headed version of ourselves, and then, act on it.

I believe that as women, we are stronger, more interesting, and more evolved than the labels would suggest. We are warriors, equipped with the tools we need to fight the battles ahead. We must remember that to avoid falling into victimhood, we must fight back with all the tools at our disposal, and work to eliminate harm at its roots. We must not allow ourselves to be defined by our pain, but instead, forge our own paths forward.

Through this book, I wish to encourage readers to awaken their true selves and break free from the fear and feelings of inadequacy that hold us back, to urge us to understand ourselves, even the painful parts that we often try to ignore. By embracing our pain and transforming it into wisdom, we can evolve and change our beliefs and ways of being.

The book explores different aspects of a woman's life, from biology to the workplace, and examines where history, social sciences, and science failed us, and what we can nevertheless learn from past evidence and experience.

The Female Disruption aims to shed light on these issues and provide a platform for addressing a wide range of questions that hindered us. By criticizing patriarchy and misogyny, I also ponder how we can break free from the shackles of victimhood. My hope is that it will educate, inform, empower, and inspire readers to think, to be mindful, to speak up, to create, to be brave, to be ambitious, and strive to be a better ally to empower other women.

The world is changing, and so are the expectations and opportunities for women in business. The time of the awakened woman is upon us – a time when women are no longer willing to accept the limitations and biases that have held them back for centuries. We are standing up, speaking out, and demanding change. And change is happening – slowly but surely.

In The Female Disruption, I aim to provide a roadmap for women who want to take control of their careers and create a better future for themselves and other women. This book is not just about identifying the problems and challenges that women face in the business world – it's about offering practical solutions and inspiring stories of women who have broken through the barriers to achieving success.

From the history of misogyny to the biases in science and data, popular culture's impact on self-image and social norms, and the lingering shadow of gender bias in the workplace, this book covers it all. I believe that by understanding the root causes of gender inequality and discrimination, women can begin to take action to change the narrative and create a more equal and just society.

It is a confusing and tumultuous time for us as women, but we must push on. We must learn to tell our stories with a sense of strength and empowerment. It is only by doing so that we can hand over a world that is truly worthy of younger generations of females, a world that is beyond the limits of the present, and a world where the glass ceilings of our existence are no longer constricting us. We must embrace the limitless potential of our being and blaze a trail toward a brighter future.

Chapter 1

History, as written by men

Echoes of Time: Unfolding the History of Misogyny

The book Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body by Riane Eisler argued that Patriarchy is based on a false belief in the superiority of men over women. This belief is perpetuated through religion, politics, and culture, and has resulted in the subjugation of women in all areas of life, including the workplace, the family, and politics. The myth of male superiority is one of the most powerful and pervasive ideas in our culture. It shapes our beliefs about gender, power, and human nature.[1]

She gave some examples of historical matriarchal societies, In matriarchal societies, life is celebrated, and the earth is seen as a living, sacred being that is to be honored and cared for. (Riane Eisler, p. 76) In matriarchal societies, the body is seen as a sacred vessel, and sexuality is celebrated as a way to connect with the divine and experience spiritual transcendence. (Riane Eisler, p. 112)

Greek mythology reflects the patriarchal nature of ancient Greek society. Many of the myths involve male gods and heroes dominating or mistreating women, whether it be through rape, sexual objectification, or simply denying them agency and autonomy.

Take the story of Medusa[2], for instance. She was a beautiful woman who was raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple. And yet, Athena punished Medusa, who was a victim, by turning her into a monster with snakes for hair. This tale reinforces the idea that women who are beautiful and sexually desirable are dangerous and must be controlled and that their sexuality is something to be feared and punished for.

Another example is Pandora's Box[3] which contained all the evils of the world, and she was warned not to open it. However, she was overcome by curiosity and opened the box, unleashing all the suffering and misery onto the world. This story suggests that women are inherently curious and foolish and that their actions can have disastrous consequences for the rest of humanity.

Misogyny is also deeply rooted in some examples of biblical passages. In I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet... it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.[4] Among other similar stories, this promotes the idea that women are inherently inferior to men and should not hold positions of authority.

During the Victorian era in England, women were divided into two camps: one was the camp of respectable ladies who were prepared for marriage, while the other was the camp of bad women composed of maids and working-class women. The first camp was chaste and demure, while the second camp was sexually active but not chaste. In that era, there were numerous taboos surrounding women's physical characteristics.

Historically, Sigmund Freud's theory is often criticized for its misogyny, or hatred or contempt for women, due to the way he portrayed women and their psychological development.

One of Freud's most significant contributions to psychology is his theory of psychosexual development, which suggests that individuals pass through several stages of development in childhood, each associated with a specific erogenous zone. According to Freud, during the phallic stage (ages 3-6), children develop a sexual attraction to the opposite-sex parent, which he called the Oedipus complex for boys and the Electra complex for girls. Freud suggested that girls were inferior to boys because they did not have a penis, and their attraction to their fathers was a result of penis envy.

Freud's theories also placed significant emphasis on female sexuality, often framing it as a problem or pathology. For example, he proposed that women experienced hysteria, a condition characterized by physical symptoms such as fainting and paralysis that he believed was caused by repressed sexual desires. This theory has been criticized as an attempt to pathologize and control women's sexuality.

Furthermore, Freud's theories were developed within a cultural context that was deeply patriarchal, and he often reflected and reinforced those biases in his work. He frequently used derogatory language when referring to women and presented them as inferior to men. For example, he famously referred to the clitoris as a small, insignificant organ, and he argued that women's supposed emotional instability made them unfit for certain roles in society.

In Eastern culture, Confucianism reinforced the idea of male dominance and female subordination in society. Men were considered to be the leaders of the family and society, and women were expected to be subservient to men in all aspects of their lives.

Reviews for The Female Disruption

[Lila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The Female Disruption" by Yingzi Yuan is a remarkable and empowering exploration of the profound impact women are making across industries. Yuan masterfully weaves together insightful narratives of female leaders who have shattered glass ceilings and driven meaningful change. The book delves into the challenges they've faced, the strategies they've employed, and the broader societal implications of their achievements. With meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Yuan highlights the urgency of embracing diversity and inclusion. This book serves as an inspiring call to action, inviting readers to recognize and celebrate the pivotal role women play in reshaping our world.