How The Hive Collective became a threat to men’s achievements, opportunities and recognition

It may sound like a contradiction. After all, what does The Hive Collective, a not-for-profit community group run by women, for women - focused on building a platform where women can connect, collaborate and grow - have anything to do with men’s achievements and recognition?

A lot, according to some. So let’s unpack this intriguing connection.

But first, let’s rewind.

The Hive Collective, a group created by our community

It’s 2023 and The Hive Collective has been named a finalist for the second time in the Tasmanian Young Achiever Award “Connecting Communities”. To state the obvious, we’re clearly flipping excited about the recognition and acknowledgement. All thanks to the hard work poured into our collective by board members, volunteers and Hivers.

Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that by today, The Hive would be an established not-for-profit and a place where connections are made, friendships built and communities empowered.  

When Annie and I started The Hive, we weren’t even sure people would show up to our first event, let alone put their time, talent and effort into building the community we now have.

To be finalists, not once, but twice in the Tasmanian Young Achiever Awards was a proud moment for all of us. We were so excited to attend the awards gala and celebrate our successes.

THAT selfie with the Tasmanian State Premier, Hon. Jeremy Rockliff

Over the years, I have often asked myself whether the concept behind The Hive is still relevant in today's society.

Do women still need community groups where we can connect, learn and grow alongside other women? Do women still need a place where we can find support and celebrate each other’s successes?

Surely, we’ve progressed beyond this point?

Turns out, all it takes is a selfie with the Premier for my rose tinted glasses to smash. 

The “BUT WHAT ABOUT MEN!” outrage against a group of young women celebrating their successes

The selfie is pretty innocent. We're having a great time, about to attend the awards and celebrate the evening.

But somehow, this photo of a group of young women celebrating their successes becomes a direct threat to mens' achievements, opportunities and recognition:

Why do successful women terrify us?

There is a lot to unpack here.

I will attempt to comment on three of the more obvious elements.

1. Gender norms, the patriarchy and the loss of Power

Good ol' patriarchy and traditional gender norms have historically led to men occupying positions of power and influence. Feminism challenged this order and today we are increasingly seeing women taking on prominent roles with authority and impact in politics, business, religious institutions (some more than others). The representation of a group of women, celebrated for their achievements, provokes and incites a threat to those who have become accustomed to the status quo. They in turn fear a loss of power and inevitably, privilege. More on this below.

2. The idea that women's advancement is detrimental to men's success

The various versions of the comment "but what about the men" followed by "women want it all" reflects the idea that the success of women in society automatically translates to fewer opportunities or resources for men. As a society, we are influenced by traditional gender roles and hierarchical power structures which has led to the ingrained belief that opportunities, resources and recognitions are limited, and any gains by women must come at the expense of men. Annabel Tyson adds a classic comment:

[...] "That people get employed or promoted on 'best person/candidate' rather than based on what sex one is ..."

Although of course, this idea only seems to apply when women's achievements are recognised and not men's. This juxtaposition of genders and the "us and them" fuels the idea that the pursuit for gender equality is competitive and inevitably there cannot be mutual benefits for our community.

3. The individual person's fears and insecurities

Applying the societal lens of "scarcity" above in #2 and bringing it down on a personal level enables us to reveal another layer. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the "what about men" keyboard warriors are men themselves meaning they present as men and benefit as men in society. Their assumption based on a photo of us women and their conclusion that "the boys" have "missed out" reflects their own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. Indirectly, we represent what they cannot be and directly challenge their own feelings of competence and value. For example this comment by Dave Rodway:

"Women are getting all the top jobs and attention. I dont [sic] mind them having their fair share., [sic] but its [sic] very lopsided [sic]."

Instead of celebrating the advancements of women as a collective sign of success, the photo of us is directly seen as a personal threat. Dave's and the other comments about the "missing men missing out" are defensive and reflect a personal fear that their own abilities (real or perceived) may be overshadowed or diminished.

It looks like The Hive Collective will stick around for a while after all

The comments I've highlighted bring to surface the discomfort and threat many people feel in society towards women who are viewed as successful. Obviously, there is a lot more that one can discuss in relation to this scenario. I've simplified complex theoretical concepts about power dynamics and gender and there is a missing piece about intersectionality and a critical analysis as to why The Hive Collective fits our social idea and criteria of who a successful woman is.

I've also omitted any analysis of the comments about our looks, transphobia etc. and the phenomena whereby women like Annabel engage in the discourse often claiming gender equality has gone 'too far', and that the progress has come at the expense of men.

Another element that's not discussed is that the photo actually does include a very successful man, the Premier of Tasmania Jeremy Rockliff. He is also one of the most influential politician in our State and a man in power.

Ironically perhaps, I also haven't discussed the fact that women are more likely to be the target of online harassment simply because we're women.

In the end, the outrage is targeting a group of young women, volunteering for a not-for-profit and attending an awards night where we're recognised as finalists.

The situation left a bitter taste in our mouths after a night that was full of fun and laughter.

But if anything, this situation has revealed the answers to my questions clearly: YES The Hive is definitely needed and NO our society has not moved past the need.

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About The Hive Collective

The Hive Collective is a Tasmanian not-for-profit that empowers women through connection, support and collaboration. We are a community-led organisation, run by women, for women.

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