feminism

Spotting Machismo: A Quick Self-Reflection Guide

Man and woman upset in an open space

In so many ways hypermasculinity is still overly present in today’s world. Some aspects of life for women have incrementally changed for the better and many men are actively making an effort to unlearn machista behaviors, but machista attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors have been normalized for so long that both men and women might not even realize they are perpetuating or enabling harmful behaviors.

This happens especially in the Latino community where machista comments or behaviors are often brushed off in the name of “culture” or tradition, but just because something has been normalized in culture doesn’t mean that we can’t actively work to change the way things are.

Here are the top signs you’re harboring conscious or unconscious machista beliefs that apply to the entire gender spectrum:

You think women and people capable of pregnancy are the only ones responsible for avoiding a pregnancy.

When an unplanned pregnancy does happen, many still default to blaming the woman for not “taking care of herself.” So if this thought has ever come to you after finding out someone unintentionally became pregnant think to yourself, why would your mind immediately jump to ascribing responsibility to the pregnant person when it’s two people who share the responsibility? With so many methods of effective birth control available for all parties, there’s plenty of blame to go around. But better yet, skip the blame and show some empathy. Your energy is better spent extending support for whatever may come next.

You think women shouldn’t curse, be too loud, or direct, or basically engage in any behavior that is typically associated with masculinity.

Not only does enforce gender roles but is also a big part of another social concept known as “marianismo” which refers to the idea that the female gender is one-dimensional and assigned specific characteristics attributed to femininity. Both men and women can be brainwashed into believing that women are supposed to be “pure” and always striving towards some non-sensical and unrealistic standard of perfection, but in marianismo, we often see this being carried out by women who then perpetuate this harmful belief in their own children.

You think women are not “respecting” themselves based on the clothes that they choose to wear.

By now we should all know very well that no matter what someone is wearing they deserve respect because they are a fellow human beings, period. And we certainly know that what someone is wearing has nothing to do with the behavior others take or don’t take because of it. Many still perpetuate the idea that showing skin is immoral or that men won’t be able to control themselves. Not only is this abhorrently untrue but it also perpetuates victim blaming. Women can wear whatever they want and show as much as they want, getting unwanted stares or comments is NEVER their fault, it is the person who lacks basic human decency, respect, and self-control.

You think it’s wrong for women to have an active sexual life.

Women are still very much shamed for having multiple sexual partners which is the same behavior that men have been praised for since the dawn of time. On top of that women are shamed from being vocal about their sex lives; again a concept rooted in both machismo and marianismo, because the reason for it, is that women have a duty to be “pure” or “modest.” But an active sex life is part of most human’s lives and how a person decides to express it is their decision and their decision only. We keep having to repeat this but it seems like it cannot be said enough, nobody should get to dictate what another person does with their body.

Weaponized incompetence

This one is appalling, but so common that it’s hard to be surprised when you see this happening. A mother is expected to be perfect in every way, but fathers always get away with doing the bare minimum, and not only that but they are praised for it. Not too long ago it was very common to see posts on social media where moms would leave their children with their father for some time while they had to do something else (take a shower, go to the gym etc) and the punchline of the joke was always that the father couldn’t be left alone with the child for too long because the dad is “useless” and can't be alone without making some sort of mess. It also happens in relationships without children, when it comes to house chores. This machista behaviour has a name: weaponized incompetence, and it is something that is done as a way to avoid responsibility, because if you are bad at doing something, then you won’t be asked to do it again. In a relationship, especially in one where there’s children involved this is a disgusting manipulation technique. Man acting like children that need to be taken care of in every way, instead of a partner who is there to help, is very much machismo behavior.


@pickle_plants

The #mentalload on women is real #weaponizedincompetence #dobetter #BillboardNXT

The societal problem we have with dismantling these behaviors is that they are normalized, even encouraged sometimes. However, this doesn’t mean that people can’t change how they think. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to change a value system, but it’s absolutely possible. As we come to realize the flaws and toxic aspects of our society, we can always choose to unlearn and relearn and to educate those around us.

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Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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Nathalie Molina Niño on Why Latinas Belong in Boardrooms—and How to Get There

woman surrounded by colorful illustrations
Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

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