Women officially entered the workspace at a very late date and time. And despite breaking all the barriers they are still subjected to workspace sexism regularly. Sexism is prejudice, stereotyping, and or discrimination typically against women based on sex. No matter what industry you’re a part of, sexism exists.
Sexual harassment and sexism are two different things. Where sexual harassment is something overt and noticeable, everyday sexism is not. And sexism is hardly complained about or reported. Sexist comments and behavior are sometimes unintentional in the workplaces, but it impacts the organizations’ culture and individual’s career.
Here are some forms of sexism seen in a workplace:
1. Insults in the form of jokes- This is the most used and frequently encountered. Both women and men experience this at work. It consists of sexist remarks in the form of a joke. But the basis of a joke is gender. For example- You won’t know how to work that machine…you might break a nail.
2. Having no value for a woman’s opinion- A prime example of this is mansplaining. This includes the times when men interrupt or talk over women, and women feel as though their opinion doesn’t matter, and a males opinion matters and is more valued. For example- When a woman and a man go to a meeting, even though the woman is in a higher position, individuals would assume that men are in the higher position.
3. Roles stereotyping- As gender roles are prevalent in the society we live in. Gender is brought up in a workspace. For example- Male employees believe that female employees should unwarp or order food for them.
4. Physical appearance-Comments made about physical appearance, body type, and characteristics are made in a workplace but it is not correct. This is a form of workplace sexism women are subjected to. For example- I couldn’t focus on your presentation because of the outfit you’re wearing.
5. Emotions and career don’t mix- The idea that women need to prioritize a family and their family values more than their work. Or the idea that women cannot objectively make decisions because they are over-emotional. For example- Women are constantly told that they should leave their work and take care of their families.
6. Gender labeling- These are tags women are given, being too bossy, being too emotional, or too nice. But it also goes into the fact that women are not assertive enough. This is experienced by men as well when they are told that they’re being too soft. For example- Women are told to Man up.
Workplace sexism is something that is currently occurring in our organizations. But it is also something that needs to stop. No matter what gender you are, the type of work you do, and your quality of work should determine your value and worth. So when you do experience this kind of discrimination call them out on it. Don’t laugh at a joke that has underlying gender tones. If someone comments on your appearance tell them it’s not appropriate. It’s better to prevent something from happening and for that, you need to raise your voice and speak out against workplace sexism.
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Read our blog on the most common mental health issues women face here.
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Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.