If Women Only Knew What They Never Heard

Gender stereotypes and inequitable treatment persist in many workplaces, especially in male-dominated fields. Gender equity progress is projected to take decades at the current pace. Comments made about women behind their backs can create labels that follow them into hiring and professional evaluation. In one case, a woman candidate was the only woman among finalists. A male committee member emailed that she had “big breasts,” which led to ongoing sexist discussion. Even after colleagues apologized, the candidate was already branded as a sex object before the interview. Women may not hear these remarks, limiting their ability to respond, and the label can persist whenever their name is mentioned.

"Most of us don't spend time wondering what people say behind our backs at work. We are focused on doing an excellent job, building professional relationships with colleagues, and meeting company goals. However, companies are filled with gender stereotypes and inequitable treatment, particularly in male-dominated fields. Most fields are male-dominated. This is supported by the fact that achieving gender equity in the U.S. is projected to take approximately 134 years at today's pace, according to the Gender Equality Institute."

"Janet was a candidate for a job she was highly interested in. The all-male selection committee had narrowed down to three people they were considering for the job. She was the only woman. Keith, one of the men who vetted Janet and added her to the interview shortlist, said in an email to the selection committee that she had big breasts. That resulted in comments about her breasts in an ongoing email thread."

"When Robert read it, he was upset and disheartened. He showed these comments to his wife, and she could not believe what she read. She was insistent that he do something about it, and he did. He called out his colleagues on their lack of professionalism and inappropriate sexist comments. They were embarrassed and apologized to Robert, but Janet was already branded and devalued as a sex object even before the interview happened."

"Often, women don't know how to respond to inappropriate comments made to them. They fear they will be sidelined, fired, or marginalized. However, in Janet's case, she will never know what these men said behind her back. But whenever her name comes up, she will be the candidate with the big breasts. Unfair, unjustified, and wrong? Yes!"

Read at Psychology Today