The Women’s Global Leadership Initiative presented “Recognizing and Transforming Indirect Aggression” to a group of students and instructors at Doyle Library on March 29 in one of a series of women’s leadership lectures at SRJC.

WGLI, a local non-profit organization, offers year-round lectures and workshops that aim to mentor and empower women. The organization seeks to help women tackle issues they face in the community and in relationships between women so that they may learn how to advance as individuals and leaders.

Diana Ruiz, president and founder of WGLI, described personal experiences and examples of how women sabotage each other through indirect aggression. Ruiz recounted scenarios of her first workforce experience at a car dealership when she was 18, saying that on many occasions female co-workers 20 to 30 years older commented on how many cars she would sell that day based on her clothing or appearance, she said. Ruiz wasn’t aware of the aggression behind their commentary until much later.

Indirect aggression can be a result of the cultural conditioning of females to suppress “negative emotions” such as low self-esteem, competitiveness, anger, jealousy and fear. It manifests in behaviors like spreading lies and rumors, silence and withdrawal, refusal to make eye contact, snubbing and public humiliation with the ultimate goal of undermining the success or credibility of a female friend or coworker.

Ruiz stresses that women should explore both their weaknesses and strengths, and evaluate how they present themselves to the world. She said women hold themselves back by undermining other successful women, whose perceived power may be threatening. Younger women could benefit from mentoring and solid guidance grounded in trustworthy female community.

WGLI’s mission is to promote a values-based leadership program that unleashes the power of women to initiate change in their communities, according to Ruiz.

“We are the ones who pass on cultural conditioning,” Ruiz said. She explained that by creating an atmosphere of trust and common goals women can achieve a win-win paradigm. To change the nature of women’s relationships with one another, and thereby support each other’s success, they must take responsibility by recognizing and not participating in indirect aggression.

For more information about WGLI and opportunities to attend lectures or mentor training contact Diana Ruiz at http://[email protected] or Kathie Klein, Operations/Administration Committee, at http://[email protected]. You may also visit the website at http://www.wgli.org.