Sexism In The Workplace
Even in this day and age, with social media and constant global exposure, sexism is still prevalent in the workplace. It might be subtle and at times unnoticeable, but most women will be able to recount a story where either they or a female friend were exposed to sexist behaviour from their peers.
What is sexism and what can be done about it? We unpack the matter in a little more detail and offer some proactive solutions that could help ease the discomfort.
What Is Sexism Or Sexist Behaviour?
Sexism is the prejudice or discrimination against members of the opposite sex, purely because of their gender. Sexist behaviour is the stereotypical behaviour that is based on the belief that one sex is more superior to another. It can be against both men and women but is more commonly found to be against women, and for the purposes of this article, we will discuss prejudice against women.
In many workplaces there is a lot of misconception about what constitutes sexist behaviour, and whether or not it’s present. For women who have served many years at a company, certain discriminatory behaviour is often written off as being part of the way the business has always been run. But old habits this shouldn’t excuse discrimination of any sort.
Examples Of Sexism At Work
Many people are completely unaware of sexist behaviour when it occurs, which usually also means that they’re unwittingly accepting of it. Understanding the subtleties of sexism in the workplace is the first step towards uncovering it and overcoming it. The most common occurrences of prejudice against women are as follows:
- Stereotypical Tasks – one of the more common ways that sexism rears its head in the workplace is the expectation of certain tasks to be carried out by members of one sex. For example: women are often expected to make coffee for everyone present in a board meeting. It is also assumed that women should carry the weight of administrative tasks, whereas men wouldn’t be asked to carry out these tasks as they would be below their capabilities.
- Interruptions – when a member of the opposite sex is not respected, often stronger employees will speak over him or her and interrupt that person when they’re making a point. This is discriminatory as it’s not offering that employee the opportunity to contribute to a conversation, implying that their opinion is not worth anything.
- Harassment – making crude or lewd comments about a member of the opposite sex is deemed as sexual harassment. Women are often objectified, even at work, and through suggestive behaviour and conversation this can come to light. It can go much further to the point of making women feel uncomfortable. This could be by being touched inappropriately or by being threatened. Certain men feel that it is their right to comment on a woman’s body, her clothing or the way that she carries herself. This is discriminatory as a woman’s body is no one’s indaba but her own.
- Gender Expectations – commentary that eludes to the fact that because someone is a woman, they should know this or be this way. If a woman cries at work, it’s because she’s a woman or she’s emotional and out of control. This is discriminating against a person on the basis of their sex. This can create situations where little respect is shown to the woman on the basis of her “not being able to control her emotions”.
How To Counteract Sexism At Work
One of the main reasons that sexism is still alive and well is because nothing is done about it. A proper recourse needs to be taken whenever it is encountered in the workplace, and it needs to be taken seriously as issues like this can escalate.
If you or someone you know has fallen prey to sexist behaviour, the first thing to do is address the issue. If you can address the perpetrator directly, this is your best course of action, but this is not always possible. Sometimes people don’t realise that they are engaging in sexist behaviour and shedding the light on this can often be the catalyst that helps them change their ways. But, unfortunately, there are also those who think it is completely acceptable.
If you cannot address the issue directly with the person in question, take the matter to your superior. Alternatively, engage with your Human Resources department, and don’t rest until something is done about it and the issue is addressed. Depending on the severity of the infraction, a proper course of action should be taken, which can involve disciplinary action.
Resources: https://www.nachtlaw.com; https://www.smartcompany.com.au; https://www.equalrights.org
Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash.