What Workplaces Should Know About Women’s Experiences of Sexism

Written by: Tharika Sai

“You’re a woman, you cannot carry that bunch of files, call a man for that job.”

“You’re too bossy for a woman.”

“What would you know about science and technology, you’re a woman?”

“Let me explain this in simpler terms to you.”

These are a handful of examples of what casual sexist statements that women have had to hear from their male colleagues at work. What is casual sexism in the first place? It’s when we say “what’s up, guys?” in a room with women as well, as the word ‘guys’ has come to be understood as a gender-neutral term, when it certainly is not. Sexist statements build a work environment that devalues women and their contributions at work.

On sexism at the workplace, Vidya, 27, a software engineer said,

“First of all, there’s always a need to prove yourself in a workplace because you’re a woman. Like you need to earn your place there, as if your qualifications aren’t enough. The male coworkers expect or assume that you know less or that you have a lesser tolerance and that not ‘all’ tasks can be done by you because you’re a woman. So either consciously or subconsciously, the easier/simpler/unimportant tasks fall on you while the more hard/important tasks are handled by the men. One month into my new job – a coworker who was supposed to be my mentor at the time said that girls aren’t usually hired for the job because girls will tend to cry when faced with critical customer calls. So he jokingly said – let’s see how you keep up.”

Women Can Also Be Casually Sexist At Work

What’s unfortunate about casual sexism is the participation of women in perpetuating sexist norms at the workplace too. Internalized patriarchy is the likely cause for women being sexist at work – all those years growing up to believe in one’s own devalued position and that of other women doesn’t just go away.

Nidhi (name changed), a lawyer working in the Madras High Court said that when a female advocate was hiring, she went on to say, “I expect women at the workplace to be more lenient, more caring, instead they always turn out to be so aggressive, shrewd and ‘man-like’.” There are also remarks and comments made based on women’s looks, and the clothes they wear, which are very reductive and sexist ways of assessing a person’s aptitude for their job.

Nidhi (name changed) added, “I have had male interns who have commented on my dressing sense and another female associate in the same workplace, also said, “Don’t you think it’s a bit much? You could dress down a little? That necklace around that neck looks like that of a cow!”

Such statements imply that women should shape their personality in a way that favors patriarchal ideologies. Casual sexism can have a huge impact on the mental health of women as it could lead to self-doubt, low self-esteem, and low confidence levels.

The Many Shades Of Sexism

One may think that sexism is only what can be heard through jokes, through mansplaining and manterruptions, but think again. Sexism pervades modern systems and keeps devalues women every step of the way. Hiring practices can be deeply sexist. Nidhi (name changed), lawyer working in the Madras High Court, says “While sitting for interviews, one of the most common questions asked by almost every employer interviewing a female lawyer is if she is single or married or if she plans to get married anytime soon, a question that otherwise would not have been posed to her male counterpart.”

The marital status of a woman is irrelevant to her capacity to do the job – it’s not a particularly difficult thing to understand, given how men are never asked about it.

How men and women are perceived at work can also be sexist. A woman known to speak her mind may come off as arrogant instead of assertive but a man may be thought to possess leadership skills.

Nandini (name changed), also a lawyer, speaks of such sexist double standards, “When I speak about my boss’ anger issues, everyone including members of my family, find it incredibly convenient to attribute it to the fact that she might not be getting enough sex at home from her husband, or how since she doesn’t have children could be contributory factor, or just the fact that she is a woman is apparently indicative of the fact that she is destined to be a bad employer, all of which would probably never be attributed to a man who has anger issues at work.”

Million Dollar Question: How Do We Address Sexism At Work?

In an individual capacity, and if they feel safe enough, women should call out if they find a remark or a practice sexist. Invalidating sexist humor by asking them to explain the joke is also a good way to nip such gendered microaggressions at work.

Also, when someone makes assumptions on whether or not, as a woman, you can/can’t/should/shouldn’t do because of your gender, question them. This applies assessing someone’s qualities based on their gender roles.

Employers can do a great deal to address sexism at work. Starting with ensuring that sexist hiring practices are fixed. From releasing job descriptions in gender-neutral language, not asking about a woman’s marital/motherhood status to providing women with the assurance that steps would be taken to ensure that the workplace is not sexist.

Sensitization workshops that are tailored for a company’s workforce can go a long away in addressing sexism at work by addressing biases, facilitating dialogue between colleagues, understanding how to regulate one’s conduct at the workplace, and more.

For greater impact, members of the senior management would also need to take sincere measures to make sure that they do not encourage any sexist remarks or jokes that seep into conversations, informal or formal.

Addressing sexism at work is difficult but not impossible. We need to start somewhere, so the next time you hear someone telling you that you can’t be taken seriously in the workplace because you’re wearing a particular type of dress – call them out on it, do not let them off the hook.

About the author: Tharika is a law student at the OP Jindal Global University. 

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.