We Need To Talk About Sexism In The Workplace

Nearly two in five female bosses say there is sexism in their workplace, new research has found.

The research by Young Women’s Trust, a charity which supports young women in England and Wales on low or no pay, also found that male and female bosses have very different views on workplace sexism.

Whereas 37 percent of women with management responsibility said sexism exists in their workplace, only 22 percent men with management responsibility came to the same conclusion.

And while 27 percent of female employers said that "it's harder for women to progress in my organisation than men”, just 11 percent of male employers reached the same conclusion.

Overall, six per cent of employers said that “men are better suited to management jobs than women” – a shockingly old-fashioned view which goes some way to explaining why the UK's gender pay gap still stands at around 18%.

Public sector employers were more likely to say that sexism still exists in their workplace than private and third sector employees. The charity carried out the same survey in 2018 and received overwhelmingly similar overall results.

Of course, anecdotally we all know that women face certain disadvantages in the workplace. This can take the form of being forced to wear uncomfortable, constricting clothing, having to bat away unwanted sexual advances, or even being fired for taking maternity leave.

“Far too many women are still having to battle sexism to progress at work. In some cases, sexist attitudes shut women out of the workplace altogether," said Young Women's Trust's communication and campaigns director, Joe Levenson.

"Many employers say they are aware of this. Yet too few are doing anything to end it. From patronising remarks to sexual harassment and gender discrimination, sexist cultures only serve to hold women back. This perpetuates gender pay gaps and disadvantages employers by limiting their organisations’ talent pools. "

“Unsurprisingly, women managers are more aware of it than men – no doubt because they too experience discrimination," Levenson added. "Employers must root out sexism in their organisations and give women an equal chance to succeed. It can be particularly tough in male-dominated workplaces, where employers should help to bring more women in and change the culture through training days, mentoring and even targets."