Do Light Skinned Women Have Upper Hand At The Workplace?

Skin bleaching or skin lightening whatever you prefer to call it has become a conversation opener, ok maybe not but it has become such a popular topic since most people are choosing to lighten their skin.

We have seen in our high end malls that have now cropped up in our affluent neighbor hoods, if you are dark you have to pass through the security check, but if you are a shade lighter you are assumed not to be capable of carrying anything that can possibly harm people.

There is something related to color that we have bought as a society that somehow associates excellence, promise, possibilities, competence, intelligence, and worthiness, with a lighter skin. And somehow the darker you are, the less likely you are to be of any asset, or let alone, any contribution or success in society.

Darker women report they often receive compliments such as ‘you are pretty for a dark girl’, as if just pretty is not enough. They also come last on the dating scene where light-skinned women have the upper hand. But that is not my concern to day, what I sort to find out is whether light skinned women also get the upper hand at work places.

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Linda Oyendo feels that being light skinned is an advantage especially in some job categories. You will find positions such as reception jobs and jobs for the airline attendants are hired on skin complexion basis.

“I actually work in a company where once they want to hire a receptionist they always go for the light skinned ladies, it’s not put out there in the job advert but once the applicant are called for interviews the interviewer looks for the skin complexion as she/he goes by.”

Ms. Oyendo is not a victim of her complexion but she says her cousin with whom they are pretty close is actually a beneficiary of her light complexion and the brainwash that light skinned people are better than dark skinned ones.

“My cousin has never applied for a job and not gotten it, she has a very light skin and she uses that to her advantage, she always attaches a copy of her passport photo on the CV and that has made it possible for her to get invited to all interviews of all the jobs she has applied for.” She says.

Susan Kibe once worked in a television station and one time their assignment included going for vox pops, for this one is required to stop people on the streets and request them to answer some questions that one has for them.

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“My boss told me that I had higher chances of getting people stop and respond to me unlike my colleague who was a shade darker than me, thus he suggested I hold the microphone,”says Susan.

I sort a man’s opinion on all this and as soon as he answered my first question I could tell that this light skinned issue was a weighty one. Moses Malaba feels that light skin is beauty and of course beautiful women will always be treated better.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if light skinned women got lesser assignments or their reprimands were lighter from their bosses especially if the said bosses are males and better offices too,” says Mr. Malaba.

“Positions that deal with clients face to face are best suited for light skinned ladies, the beautiful ones.” Mr. Malaba adds. “However it all boils to down to what one can do for the company, I would advise that for the senior position employers look for brain rather than the skin colour.”

Maybe it’s not about holding the upper hand in the job place the light skin issue is more than I thought it also enables you to get the job in the first place, make you likable and also lightens your job load.

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What’s your take?