Wednesday, December 12, 2012

SEXISM STILL AND ALWAYS?

Today is my husband's birthday.  In my e-mail was an e-greeting to him wishing him a Happy birthday from our insurance agent.  This was my response:

Dear Victor,

I am Susan Walker, my husband is Tom. My birthday was on December 1st and I didn't receive a birthday greeting, even though you clearly have my e-mail address.

 The reason I mention this is that I have been insured by Liberty Mutual since I was 16 years old - continuously insured by the same company. When I got married, my husband joined me on MY policies. Yet your company - the one I have been paying premiums to for over 40 years, keeps sending greetings and thank yous to my husband. I wrote a similar response to something we received over 10 years ago - and yet you are still following this protocol.

Wake up!! Women are not just along for the ride. I am pretty tired of this attitude from businesses. It is time to update your software or data so that you are acknowledging the party who actually chose to make you their insurance company, or at the very least, communicate with husband and wife in equal ways! In the 21st century is it right to default to the man?  I don't think so.

Sincerely,

Have you experienced this sort of institutional sexism, too?





5 comments:

Jennifer (Jen on the Edge) said...

Good for you. Have you gotten a response yet?

cookingwithgas said...

Have we- we work together and most of the time the ladies assume that he "makes" all the work and I just flit around and then put pretty things on "his" pots....
I have on purpose placed me name on many things since I do all the book keeping but they will ask for him since he is male and that makes him someone smarter than me.
If he ever starts signing checks I think they will put him in jail.
I hear you!

michiganme said...

I hear you!! I think it's an anachronism when companies that we both have been clients of for several years send personal notes to Mr. & Mrs. John Doe. I'm not offended, just puzzled that in the year 2012 they can't give us both our own first name.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Neither one of us gets birthday greetings from Liberty Mutual. I don't think.

It used to drive me nuts that all the mail for the kids came addressed to my husband and I definitely complained about that.

My daughter and I just had a conversation about addressing wedding invitations--hard to believe there are still sites that advise Mr. and Mrs. His first name last name. Seriously?!

shrink on the couch said...

Is the masculine veneer so fragile that acknowledging the wife as primary holder would threaten the account? Puhlease. 21st century is right. And kudos to you for writing a letter!