It’s already Day 4 at SXSW! We begin the week right. With an honest conversation about sex and a new hairdo compliments of the SXSW JVN Salon.
By Austin Woman magazine, Photo courtesy of SXSW
What the “She-cession” Will Teach Us About Hiring
We all know that during the pandemic, many left their jobs to pursue other opportunities, for better pay, for the option to work from home, etc. But what we haven’t talked about is the fact that so many people in that category are women. Being a woman in the workplace can be exhausting. For starters, there’s the pay gap. Then there’s the “third shift” where women are more commonly given workplace tasks that are deemed as housework (such as supplying the office with snacks). On top of all that, women are also way more likely to be chosen to lead DEI or parenting resource groups. It’s no surprise all that expectation can weigh down on a person, eventually causing them to leave their job. And when you look at women of color, the numbers only increase.
So how do we fix it? We look at the data.
Janet Gipson, vice president of talent acquisition at Global Medical Response said, “The data, along with changing how we schedule and do work are key in keeping and retaining women in the workforce.”
So many companies are too focused on finding the right candidate or finding multiple right candidates. But retention is an area that often gets ignored. To increase retention of women in the workplace, it starts with representation at the top.
“If you can’t see it, you won’t be it” added Jessica Jensen, the CMO at Indeed.
The Future of Sex: As Told By Women
Sex Education in the U.S. has almost been laughable for decades. We’re teaching toddlers how to code, but the U.S. sex education still focuses on abstinence-only teachings. The “dangers” of contracting an STD or STI.
“We literally built rockets before we made a map of the vulva,” said Shadeen Francis, a sex and relationship therapist at The People’s Therapy Group.
Not only has sex-ed been continuously unhelpful, but it’s historically left out women and women’s pleasure. A study in 2015 states, “46% of women said they always or nearly always had an orgasm when having intercourse, with only 6% of women reporting always having an orgasm.”
This is because for so long women’s pleasure has been taboo or flat-out ignored. Anna Lee, co-founder of Lioness (a smart vibrator), revealed a hilarious (yet disturbing) story. A man she previously worked with told her the tip of the nose has the equivalent sensitivity of a clitoris. The nose.
Lilly Sparks, the founder and CEO of AfterGlow (an ethical and educational porn platform), also touched on how a lack of information can result in shame or the stigmatization of things we don’t know enough about. “The only way for us to unpack and move beyond shame is for us to have conversations about it. Shame can only exist in the silence.”
The result of living in such shame is oftentimes violence against women. Violence that oftentimes goes unnoticed. A stat even more prevalent when looking at Indigenous and Black women. Gabrielle Evans, founder of the Minority Sex Report, LLC, recounts her experience as an indigenous woman growing up in the South. How she was taught to be ashamed of sex; a fact most women in the room could relate to.
JVN Come As You Are Tour Comes to SXSW
JVN, Jonathan Van Ness, Jesus. They go by many names, but the most important thing to know about JVN is that they are boots-the-house-down-fabulous, henny!
I got the opportunity to book a styling appointment at the JVN pop-up salon, and the experience did not disappoint.
While JVN is not opening their own salon any time soon (besides the pop-up), this was to celebrate the launch of their new line of hair-care products. That day in Austin was particularly windy, so by the time I actually made it to my 4 P.M. appointment, my hair was a mess. But not to worry, I left looking GORGEOUS.
After filling out a short survey on my hair type, I was taken over to the chair for my styling appointment. My stylist, who actually works for Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair & Beauty, walked me through the JVN products she was using. I actually left the salon the Nourishing Shine Drops, as all products were 20% off for the event. As someone with wavy hair that likes to have a mind of its own, I was 100% grateful for the tips and recommendations they could give me.