Gender Bias Essay

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Studies show that, in jobs typically held by men, men are assumed to be competent, while women often have to prove their abilities repeatedly. Women have to work harder, do more, and have more success to get near the affirmation, promotion, and respect as men. In addition, women’s mistakes are often held against them for an extended period of time, perhaps forever, while men’s errors are quickly dismissed. There are different general types of gender bias but the impact of each is similar: Lower pay for the same work, fewer opportunities for advancement, fewer professional development opportunities, work/life balance issues, and hostile workplace concerns are some of the primary impacts of gender bias in the workplace. It’s important to understand that while there are still incidents of very purposeful, hostile gender bias, most gender bias is not malicious, but is so ingrained into our culture and behavior that it is present and does have an impact.
I’ve learned about three themes surrounding gender bias in the workplace:
Maternal:

Maternal gender bias links motherhood with lack of ambition, competence, and commitment. Studies on maternal stereotypes have found that, compared to women with similar resumes but no children, mothers were: o 79% less likely to be hired o 100% less likely to be promoted o Held to higher performance standards

Bias against mothers stems from beliefs about what professional weaknesses mothers have, and from expectations about how mothers should behave. Even today, women often encounter assertions indicating that mothers don’t belong in the workplace. Statements such as “Mothers belong at home” or “I assumed she didn’t want the promotion because she just had a baby” point to gender bias.

Woman ...

... middle of paper ...

...d to an impression that they are out for family reasons, which can be perceived as a negative for women.
• Be clear on what they want and communicate how they handle family responsibilities – I have a stay at home spouse, a nanny, a strong back up plan.
• Align with other women or recruit a female mentor.
• Avoid known sabotagers.

These are survival strategies that women often must employ that men don’t need to be concerned with. They are not solutions to the problem. Only changing the biases will lead to solutions, but these are coping strategies.

As an organizational leader, we must all keep in mind that gender bias is still a risk of the workplace. While national conversation abounds on topics such as sexual identity, and racial bias, gender bias is often swept under the rug. It is real. It has an impact. It needs to remain in focus for any leader.

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