Can We Speak Up? - Empowered Women Working

I've been neglecting this blog for quite a bit but it seemed as good a place as any to write down something that has been a real issue (one of the reasons that I started this blog in the first place)

In August 2009, I quit my old job. It was as the Online Editor of a cute small and on the surface, entirely likeable company. It flogged cute, good quality magazines on a socially important issue and was really on the surface - supposed to make a difference to the world and make everyone's lives a little better.

This cute small and likeable company didn't pay me for about a month. It didn't pay my superannuation for more than a year. That's about $7,500 maybe more if you think about interest - that's a lot for a girl in her twenties.

It owes my colleagues (at least 4 or 5 of them) the same amount of money if not more.

The thing is that it was run by a hot, blonde, smart and on the surface entirely likeable and empowered woman. Her first cute small and likeable company went bankrupt and then restarted itself under the guise of a "different" company...that is owned by the 22 year old BROTHER of the woman...but she still holds the reins and runs the place. (I'm pretty sure that's illegal) This "different" company has continued to be operated in the same manner of the first business that owes me money...and is now racking up more debt to co-workers of mine that have believed that they will recoup the money that they are owed...

And none of us have seen a dime.


And the worse part is, it is modern times that lets her get away with it. As a woman with a vision, people respect her. Wow - she started her own business that seems to have taken off. But then the number of times she's played dumb, flirted - maybe slept with people - to get out of trouble with the ATO, the creditors, the employees she owes money. Her crazy excuse for running her company into the ground? Bad employees (that she never paid) and "She didn't know".

If she was male - people would expect more from her.

For the rest of us, when do we get to speak out against then??? When do we get to say that wasn't right? When do we get to say a company...no matter cause and mission..can't do this to us? When do we get to say "no fucking way"?

She really does give the empowered business woman a bad name. :(

Have you been ripped off by a so called empowered woman? In what ways does society make it easier or harder for women in business?