How Identity Has Influenced a Policy and Legislative Advocate's Career at Health Access California
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Christine has strategically leveraged opportunities like the Solis Policy Institute fellowship designed to address underrepresentation in legislative spaces. Christine has found that women "generally have different ways of getting things done" and have built strong, supportive networks that offer invaluable mentorship and strategies for navigating communication styles and professional presentation in the workplace.
Gender in the Workplace, Networking, Mentorship, Communication Styles, Overcoming Bias
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christine Smith
Policy & Legislative Advocate
Health Access California
UC Berkeley
University of San Francisco: Masters in Public Administration
Political Science, American Studies
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Communication and Marketing
Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Taking advantage of opportunities specifically for women and underrepresented groups in policy and legislative spaces, such as fellowships, to gain experience and access in a cisgender, male-dominated field.
2. Navigating communication differences and challenges in male-dominated environments, such as addressing being talked over in meetings, and developing strategies for effective communication and getting things done.
3. Building strong networks with other women, recognizing that women are often more open to helping each other and providing mentorship, which is particularly valuable in male-dominated spaces.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
I mean, do think there are a lot of internships for people who identify as women or people who are cisgender women, but also women-identified. I did a fellowship recently for the Solis Policy Institute that is for people in that category.
It also includes trans folks, but really looking at the ways that people are underrepresented in the legislature and what we call the third house, like lobbying. Folks really try to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered, just because it is such a cisgender, male-identified space.
I think there are different ways that people communicate, but also different ways that we can navigate different spaces, really trying to figure out those avenues. Women, just in general, just have different ways of communicating from my understanding, like, from my perspective.
I think sometimes men will try and talk over me in meetings, and how do you respond to that in a practical way? But also, we generally have different ways of getting things done, but also figuring out how to dress professionally, like how to, you know, what other ways are we showing up for each other?
I think women are generally really good at building networks. Not every woman is amazing at it, but I think there are definitely opportunities and avenues. A lot of women are more open to helping each other than men are in the same type of environment, at least from what I've seen.
So I think those are really, really powerful pieces about how to approach the work. I've had a lot of really good mentors that are women, and I've also had good mentors that are men, but they're different. So, in a male-dominated space, I've been able to find those networks and have really, really treasured them.