Why the world is still not built for women | Virginia Santy

0:00You have the vision for your business. You have the plan. And you just got handed a huge opportunity. But is your business connectivity reliable enough to make a move? Spectrum Business delivers fast, reliable internet, phone, TV, and mobile services. So you're always connected when it matters most. Get connectivity packages built for your business with savings that keep your budget in check. And with fast, reliable internet and 100 % U.S.-based customer support, you'll stay connected and ready to bring your vision to life. Learn more at spectrum.com slash business. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas.

0:36Hannah, I just Venmo'd you for dinner. Obsessed. I'm literally spending it right now on the lip gloss that's been sitting in my cart. What do you mean spending it right now? You instantly spend your balance with the Venmo debit card. Stop. Say more. More exactly. The more you do with Venmo, the more you get. Like earning up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash. Get the Venmo debit card or check out online. Venmo stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. Max$100 per month. See terms at venmo.me slash stash terms. Venmo checkout not available at all merchants. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A.

1:11Hannah, I just Venmo'd you for dinner. Obsessed. I'm spending it right now on the lip gloss that's been sitting in my cart. What do you mean spending it right now? You can instantly spend your balance with the Venmo debit card or when you pay with Venmo at checkout. Stop. Say more. More exactly. The more you do with Venmo, the more you get. Like earning up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash. Get the Venmo debit card or checkout online. Venmo Stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. Max$100 per month. See terms at venmo.me slash stash terms. Venmo checkout not available at all merchants. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A.

1:52I vividly remember running into a colleague of mine after she had a baby. We were both walking down the street and she was enthusiastically pushing a stroller. We stopped and chatted and she told me she was trying to get some exercise. Turns out it was impossible for her to find anywhere in the city that would accommodate a mom working out alongside her sleeping kid in a stroller. So strolling the avenues was how she incorporated movement into her day. The same is true of many of our workplaces. They're not built for caretakers of any gender. And often, they're not built specifically with women in mind.

2:29Which is infuriating, because this disparity isn't just impacting women. When an office is designed for everyone, better, more collaborative work happens. I'm Madhupak Nola. This is TED Business, a podcast from TED. Our speaker today is design consultant Virginia Santi. In her talk, Virginia's telling us that when we talk about women in the workplace, we need to be thinking about women's physical experience in the workplace. No more freezing offices, no more hiding spaces for working moms who need to pump. What would it look like to design with all kinds of women in mind? Then after the talk, a call to action for the men in the room.

3:15But first, a quick break.

3:20This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire can cost you time, money, and momentum. A good hire, they can help grow your business. But finding great talent isn't easy, especially when you don't have the time or resources to sift through piles of resumes to find the right fit. That's why LinkedIn built HiringPro, your new hiring partner that screens candidates for you, so instead of sorting through applications, you can spend your time talking to candidates who are actually a good fit. With HiringPro, you can hire with confidence knowing you're getting the best talent for your business.

4:02In fact, according to LinkedIn, those hiring with LinkedIn are 24 % less likely to need to reopen a role within 12 months compared to the leading competitor. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash tedbiz, spelled B-I-Z. Terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by PACA. The best pieces are effortless, the ones that just feel right every time you put them on. The layer you reach for, whether you're heading out the door or settling in for the night. Lately for me, that's been my Paka hoodie. I wear it all the time now, and I think once you try it, you'll get why.

4:53Paka makes outdoor and lifestyle apparel from alpaca fiber, one of the most sustainable natural fibers on the planet. It's softer than you'd expect, warmer than wool, and breathable enough to carry you through whatever the day brings. Their signature hoodie is built for real wear, naturally odor-resistant, and easy to dress up or down. But the hoodie is just one of my favorite pieces. I've also loved their Essential Rainbow Mountain Crew Sock and the original crew sweater in blue. Both made with the same thoughtfulness and that signature alpaca softness. To grab your Paka hoodie, go to www.pakaapparel.com.

5:34That's www.pakaapparel.com.

5:44And now, Virginia Sante takes the TED stage. Do you feel comfortable?

5:55Really think about your experience right now. Are you too hot or too cold? How does your butt feel sitting in this chair? Do you feel safe? These questions might seem a little silly, but silly for different reasons depending on your gender identity. We don't really ask these questions of men because for the most part, we don't have to. Our environments are built for men and how they experience the world. For you women, these questions are different because we are so conditioned to accept our own discomfort. To accept the environments or systems around us as normal and natural, we often fail to realize when they don't quite fit us.

6:49We just work around it. But how many of you women are carrying a purse or a bag big enough to fit an extra sweater or a down comforter in case you get cold sometime today? The truth is, the world wasn't built for women. In fact, in nearly every way, it's been quite literally built for men. From da Vinci's Vitruvian Man to a concept called the Modular Man from the mid-20th century, we've used men's bodies to measure what we feel is normal and appropriate in our world. And then we've used those measurements to build everything around us, from chairs to buildings and cars. women are for the most part not seen not measured not valued and this means the basic physical structures of our environment or the structures of our systems work against women in subtle and not so subtle ways and this is exponentially true for women of color women with disabilities and women with intersectional identities.

8:09It was only 20 years ago we included female crash test dummies. It was only 1991 when we included women in medical trials. It is like we have only recently realized women aren't men. A few years ago, I started daydreaming about what it would look like to build an office space, a workplace for women. I was tired of freezing in sterile feeling offices. I felt defeated by the woeful tales of moms who had to breast pump in bathroom stalls or coffee rooms. I was sick and tired of feeling guilt or embarrassment for having to bring my baby to work with me a few hours every once in a while to compensate for some caregiving emergency or another.

9:16So I started talking to women and asking them what worked, what didn't work in their spaces. And then I used that information to sketch out the perfect plan for a new workspace. Women told me, office parking spaces are too narrow. And a car seat with a kid in it is pretty bulky and inflexible. So we designed our space with ample parking and spots wide enough to open a car door all the way and take out a car seat. women told us simply entering a building can be frustrating have you ever walked up to a door and had to try a few times to get it open you really had to throw your weight behind it that's because doors open more easily for men literally it is not just a metaphor anymore so we reduce the force required to open our doors, making it easier for women to use them.

10:18Moms told us juggling work and children, it's their most difficult challenge. So instead of pretending workers are 100 % autonomous agents with no human connection and children simply drop from the sky and raise themselves, we plan for on-site childcare rooms where moms could use our partner childcare care services or bring their kids to play while they worked. This all wasn't just physical. From research, we learned women are most likely to attend a professional development event with a friend. So we made all learning social. These were all great things and the results were glorious. Women supported one another and collaborated across businesses and industries.

11:11They shared resources and recommendations, anecdotes and pep talks. We have built a place where women could unabashedly discuss that other scarlet letter, capital A word for which they are so often judged and criticized. Ambition. And find not only encouragement from others, but strategies. We built a place where women felt valued and could therefore be themselves. And while I believe valuing women is the only argument we need for building places that work for them, there is also an economic argument. Today, there are more men than women in the workforce. In fact, women's workforce participation is at the same level today as it was 30 years ago.

12:06and the gap is only getting wider. Building places of work where women feel comfortable and valued is one way to address this. If women worked at the same levels as men, the U.S. GDP would increase by 5 % or$1 trillion.

12:30Globally, we know when women are more financially secure, They invest more and more often in their families and communities. Everything I've mentioned so far are things you can do at home, in your workplaces. But we need to think bigger, too. And design for women on a larger scale. Can we design whole cities to serve women? That's the question that inspired my work for the Downtown Denver Partnership. The first thing I learned is that women aren't really on the radar of city builders. 94 % of U.S. cities have city plans, yet only 2 % of those plans include any mention of women. And if women aren't on the radar, it means their distinct experiences aren't on the radar either.

13:30Care work is a useful illustration. Women spend 37 % more time per day on household chores or caregiving activities than men. And this doesn't end with children. The average caregiver for an older adult is a 49-year-old woman who works full-time outside the home and spends an extra 20 hours a week caring for a family member. If this is the reality for women, how can we redesign our cities to better serve them? Most city centers are child care deserts, despite a growing number of young families who live and work downtown. And women who live in metropolitan areas tend to use public transit to accomplish a range of household or caregiving responsibilities.

14:25Yet a city's public transportation system isn't really what we think of when we hear the phrase family friendly. Public transit is tough to navigate with a stroller. It doesn't facilitate the short frequent trips women tend to take in care work. If we really thought about women's experiences, simply recognizing the centrality of care work in women's lives would mean a much different city than what we're used to. Imagine this scenario. A mom walks a short distance from her home to her transit stop. She and her two-year-old child socialize with other parents and kids at the stop because there are other parents and kids at the stop.

15:18She takes the transit to work where she goes to the on-site corporate-sponsored daycare facility. She gets a chance to kind of network with the VP at her office because he and his kids also use the daycare facility. Later in the afternoon, she returns to the daycare center for an afternoon snack with her kid. Feeling energized by that visit, She returns to her desk, finishes up her day, picks up her kid, heads back to the transit stop. She doesn't have to worry about transportation schedules because the transit stop is a hub of services. She swings by the walk-in health care clinic to get her flu shot.

16:03She drops by the bank, which is open past 5 p.m., by the way, and sets up a financial account that does not penalize her with higher interest rates simply for being a woman.

16:19She boards her transit home along with other families, feeling like she has had quality time with her kid as well as a productive and strategic day. I daydream about this scenario in the same way I used to daydream about riding a flying pony when I was eight years old. And in some ways, it feels just as mythical and surreal, but it doesn't have to. To me, the workplace cities are inventive opportunities to question what we see as normal and natural in our world. Why do we make it so difficult on working mothers when their contributions quite literally fuel the future success of our economies?

17:15How can we do things differently? And how can we continue to iterate as gender identities and gender norms evolve? Finally, what would it take to make these changes? The answer is so simple. It sometimes feels silly to say it aloud. Value women.

17:48See, women is not only human and therefore worthy of our consideration, but as people who make incredible contributions to our collective success. Recognize women's experiences are different than men's, but that those differences are not deficiencies. This could be a sad story, but in many ways, it's one of triumph. Women succeed in personal, political, cultural, economic arenas, all in spite of systems, places not designed to serve them. Imagine what women could do if we made things a little easier on them. We can build places, cities, systems that are not derivatives of or adjustments to what works for men, but the product of inspired thought and creativity.

18:51We can design for women, measure their lived experiences, and build with those experiences in mind. And the world will be better for it.

19:10This episode is brought to you by Walmart Business. The best leaders might tell you the work that moves an organization forward doesn't happen in spreadsheets or supply chain emails. It happens when you have the space to think big. That's the idea behind Walmart Business. It's built to take the friction out of running an organization so your team isn't losing hours to procurement logistics when they could just be focused on the problems that actually matter. With an ever-expanding business assortment, everyday low prices, and fast, reliable shipping, Walmart Business keeps your operations running smoothly.

19:44Shop online, in-store, or through the Walmart Business app, however works best for you. Simpler operations, smarter spending. It's Walmart built for your business. Sign up for a free Walmart business account at business.walmart.com.

20:18better. Books that automate? That's a big one. And I can keep track from my phone while I get the job done. No spreadsheet in sight. What a life. Do right by yourself and your business and search XERO for your free trial. Conditions apply. You have the vision for your business. You have the plan. And you just got handed a huge opportunity. But is your business connectivity reliable enough to make a move? Spectrum Business delivers fast, reliable internet, phone, TV, and mobile services, so you're always connected when it matters most. Get connectivity packages built for your business with savings that keep your budget in check.

20:55And with fast, reliable internet and 100 % U.S.-based customer support, you'll stay connected and ready to bring your vision to life. Learn more at spectrum.com slash business. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas.

21:17That was Virginia Sante at TEDxMileHigh. I love that so many of Virginia's ideas about what makes an office more accommodating for women came from just talking to other women. So if you're a man listening to this, especially a man who works in management or has some say in the matter, I want you to listen up and pay attention. How can you do a better job of amplifying the women in your workplace? Can you find a way to ask, is there anything in this office building that drives you nuts? Is there any way you could physically feel more comfortable here? Making sure people feel comfortable in the workplace is a way of making sure people feel welcomed.

21:58It's more than just accommodation. It's genuine care and inclusion. And it helps everyone do better, more impactful work every day. And even if you don't see it, there might be some invisible ways in which your office is sending a subtle message to the women working alongside you that their presence isn't as valued as you believed it to be. So what can you do to change that?

22:28That's it for today. TED Business is part of the TED Audio Collective. This episode was produced by Hannah Kingsley Ma, edited by Alejandra Salazar, and fact-checked by Julia Dickerson. Special thanks to Maria Ladias, Farrah Degrunge, Daniela Balarezo, Tansika Sangmanibong, and Roxanne Heilash. I'm Madupa Ekinola. Thanks for listening.

23:00Hannah, I just fanmowed you for dinner. Obsessed. I'm literally spending it right now on the lip gloss that's been sitting in my cart. What do you mean spending it right now? You instantly spend your balance with the Venmo debit card. Stop. Say more. More exactly. The more you do with Venmo, the more you get. Like earning up to 5 % cash back with Venmo Stash. Get the Venmo debit card or check out online. Venmo Stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. Max$100 per month. See terms at Venmo.me slash stash terms. Venmo checkout not available at all merchants the Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank NA this is Hannah Berner from Giggly Squad Opil is the first over-the-counter daily birth control pill available in the U.S.

23:44let's be real getting a birth control prescription is not always easy and it's so much admin in fact about a third of women face barriers to access prescription birth control between scheduling appointments missing work class or just trying to exist it's a lot But now Opill is putting birth control in our control. Opill is a daily birth control that's FDA approved, full prescription strength and estrogen free and 98 % effective when used as directed. Grab it online or at most major retailers, no prescription or doctor's appointment needed. So if you're thinking about birth control, check out Opill to see if it's right for you.

24:18Use code Giggly for 25 % off your first month of Opill at O-P-I-L-L dot com. That's code Giggly at O-P-I-L-L dot com. Birth control in your control. We love to see it. Yep, he's planning another project. So this Father's Day at Lowe's, tap into free gifts for Dad. Get a free select Craftsman power tool when you buy a Craftsman V20 charger with 2 amp hour and 4 amp hour batteries. Plus, get a free DeWalt power tool when you buy a select 20 volt Max XR 4 amp hour battery kit. Dad knows our best lineup is here in Lowe's. Valid through 714 while supplies last. Selection varies by location.