Benevolent, Hostile Or Casual Sexism? Understanding Gender Equality At Work Better

Written by: Priyanka Chakrabarty

Sexism in the workplace can look like a male colleague cracking a joke about his female colleague leaving work early because she has errands to run or when he asks her to ‘calm down’ when they’re trying to make a point. Gender equality then

There are many facets to sexism but how long have we been using the word? The term ‘sexism’ is widely believed to have emerged during the second wave of the feminist movement in the 1970s. That piece of information means women have only had a word in the last 50 years to loosely describe a range of actions spread across acts (spoken or written), practices, behavior/gestures that deems them inferior than men.

"Act like a lady."
"You need to man up."
"You're not like other girls."
"You're pretty funny for a girl."
"Don't be so emotional."
"It's prob her time of the month."
"You're prettier when you smile."
"Stop playing like a girl."
"You should take it as a compliment." pic.twitter.com/Q03Qdb624d

— UN Women (@UN_Women) May 6, 2021

Sexism is rampant in modern workplaces. Stories shared by users on Twitter and Instagram will affirm that at least a few hundred times a day. In this article, I will briefly try to explain the different kinds of sexism, so that we’ve an easier time identifying what’s wrong and what we can call it.

The Many Types Of Sexism and Gender Equality 

Expanding the scope of what’s sexist beyond just statements/remarks made at work – it’s also sexist when women are expected to take notes in meetings irrespective of their role in the company or be made to feel inadequate or out of place in a male dominated workplace. There are also sexist hiring practices, work cultures and of course, the pay gap. The Pew Research Center in the United States says that up to 42% of women in workplaces face some form of sexism in the workplace.

Let’s understand the nuances of sexism through the following three types: benevolent, hostile and casual sexism.

Benevolent Sexism

Benevolent sexism is a set of attitudes that reinforce gender roles and stereotypes but in a way that it ‘feels’ positive and endearing. Telling a woman who is a manager that she keeps her team together like a mother is an example of benevolent sexism. It could also be a male colleague checking in more than usual to see if you need help with your work even though your qualifications are more or less same as the men in your team. Clicking on the tweet below will lead you to a comic strip by a French artist who captures benevolent sexism in its many colors.

A wonderful cartoon on #sexism, precisely #benevolentsexism. A must-read for those who still think that praising women for being 'sweet' is a good thing.
https://t.co/T9SYfmXe48

— Margherita Melillo, PhD (@marghe_melillo) August 14, 2020

These actions seem to be coming from a place of care but actually works to keep women trapped in their patriarchy-dictated gender roles of how women should be, how they should behave, and how they’re expected to reach out for help and protection because they’re the ‘weaker sex.’ Men who are guilty of being benevolently sexist think well of themselves because it reinforces their gendered role of being the ‘protector’.

This kind of sexism impacts women because they are deprived of agency at the workplace. It also keeps society’s rules about men and women intact at the workplace.

Hostile Sexism

This one isn’t tough to spot. This is the most obvious form of sexism. An incident of hostile sexism occurs when a man at work makes negative evaluations of a female colleague.

Remarks by men that imply a woman can’t perform a certain task well because she’s a woman. Someone could be guilty of hostile sexism also if they purposely exclude women from processes meant for all – meetings, important projects, and the like. It’s important to understand the word ‘hostile’ in hostile sexism is used not literally but to connote an overt, negative and direct form of sexism.

Research studies from around the world suggests that benevolent and hostile sexism usually go hand-in-hand. If you find one, it’s not long before you spot the other. While the former is believed to be used by men as ‘reward’ for good behavior, the latter is said to have been used as punishment for ‘bad’ behavior. Together, benevolent and hostile sexism give rise to what is understood as ambivalent sexism.

Casual Sexism

Casual sexism, often referred to as everyday sexism, refers to comments, actions and behavior which is often rooted in gender-based stereotypes. This form of sexism, while seemingly harmless, often discounts the agency of women and reduces every action in the workplace to their gender. It could look like a comment that asks a woman to ‘calm down’ in the face of workplace discrimination or a sexist joke which is justified as ‘just a joke not to be taken seriously.’

These seemingly minor incidents make the workspace not only uncomfortable for women but denotes that the work culture is patriarchal, toxic and not inclusive of their participation.

Conclusion

Sexist behavior and attitudes are not just a few isolated actions and behavior. Sexism at work also translates to lack of pay, opportunities for growth and ultimately leads to stagnation. Studies show women who are mothers are less likely to get employed, women are more likely to be underpaid in freelance positions and saleswomen are underpaid than men because they are given smaller accounts to handle. All of these facts stem from a sexist understanding of the role and position of women.

For workplaces to evolve, it is essential for employers to recognize the damage that sexist behavior can have on its workforce, especially women, and work towards building a work culture that’s more inclusive and dignified.

About the author: Priyanka is pursuing her LLB from St Joseph’s College of Law and aspires to be a human rights lawyer. She is a queer woman who loves to read and passionately document her reading journey on bookstagram.

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. Our team specializes in advising workplaces on workplace diversity and inclusion. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to understand how we can partner with your organization to build a more inclusive workplace.