Even Vice Presidential Candidates Get Mansplained To

Kamala Harris isn’t the first and she won’t be the last.

That’s right, every woman has experienced mansplaining in some form or another.

An interruption to “correct” an unfinished thought. A detailed counter to a point you didn’t actually make. Sometimes it’s the exact opposite--being blatantly ignored in a conversation.

At this week’s vice presidential debate, Harris had to strongly defend herself against Mike Pence’s repeated interference: “Mr. Vice President, I am speaking.” She earned accolades across social media, but detractors deemed it an emotional outburst.

Of course, in politics, a woman breathing can be seen as an emotional outburst.

In corporate environments and even in the executive suite, women often feel sidelined if not completely disregarded by their colleagues. Watching Harris stand up for herself on Wednesday night was an inspiring sight, but many women are embarrassed into keeping quiet or serving as the “note taker” in meetings by default.

“How do you spell ‘misogynistic’?”

And when women do speak up, it’s often interpreted as a cry for attention, as Yale School of Management Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior Victoria L. Brescoll recounted in a 2012 paper.

Throughout my 17 years in corporate America, I know that I’ve been on the receiving end of mansplaining, and it never gets any easier. But I have learned to remind myself of a couple things that I share with both the young women beginning their careers as well as the female executives and CEOs I advise:

You are there for a reason. You were hired and you are sitting in that boardroom because you earned your place there. Nobody can take that from you.

Express yourself confidently and make sure your voice is heard. Don’t be arrogant, snotty, or rude--after all, those are the traits of a mansplainer. But there is nothing wrong with advocating for yourself and sharing your knowledge.

Call them out. Nothing stops a mansplainer in his tracks like a woman calling out his behavior. Mansplaining is so ingrained in our culture that sometimes men don’t do it intentionally. A swift, respectful reminder might be enough to make them aware.

I’m reminded of when Uber board member David Bonderman dismissed Arianna Huffington’s suggestion of having more women on the board by concluding it would merely lead to “more talking.” (After employee and media backlash, Bonderman swiftly resigned.)

But this behavior is not limited to the boardroom. Take a look at the classic Yale University “John vs. Jennifer” study that exposed STEM professors’ inherent gender biases. A recent viral TikTok reiterates this point. Even in a field that should rely on objectivity and facts, women are still underestimated.

Fortunately, more women have courageously embraced their abilities and stood up to problematic behavior. Hewlett-Packard Senior Vice President Stephanie Dismore spoke recently to the Women in Revenue group about the moment she remembered why she had risen so high in the company--because her input was valuable.

Literally--her ideas led to new streams of revenue growth for HP.

There’s still work to be done--there always will be--but the tide is turning.

“As there are more women joining us at the table, people have reactions,” Kim Fox of the Philadelphia Inquirer told Fortune. “When mansplaining happens, women bristle, and men notice that.”

And ultimately, Fox says, a successful outcome will outweigh the concerns of even the most sexist figures in the boardroom. 

“At the end of the day, it’s all about solving a problem together.”