Sexism in the workplace: from little things big things can grow

A landmark report by a group of high powered, predominantly male, executives working alongside Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins highlights that ‘casual’ or ‘everyday’ sexism continues to be prevalent in the workplace.

The report, titled We Set the Tone: Eliminating Everyday Sexism was compiled with a group of more than 100 heads of large organisations called the Male Champions of Change (MCC) assisting the Commissioner.

The MCC has identified some of the most common examples of everyday sexism, which includes insults masquerading as jokes, preoccupation with physical appearance, role stereotyping, assumptions made about careers and devaluing a woman’s opinion. Men also can suffer from sexism arising from actions such as unwarranted gender labeling.

A key takeaway for any individual or organisation is to the exact definition of casual or everyday sexism. According to the report, everyday sexism is defined as ‘little things, said or done in a moment, that play into stereotypes of gender’.In addition, perhaps the most important characteristic noted is that sexism is ‘frequently invisible, and often accepted’, suggesting that the majority of everyday sexism is not addressed in any meaningful manner.

In 2012, the Australian Human Rights Commission conducted a national survey that found one in four women had been sexually harassed at work over the preceding five years. This does not take into account the number of people who do not report harassment (in 2012, only one in five 5 people who had been harassed chose to report it).

Damningly, casual sexism is now so deeply ingrained in the psyche of some organisations that it is simply viewed as a part of ‘navigating workplace dynamics’.

Tacit approval or turning a blind eye toward casual or everyday sexism can lead to more serious sexual harassment incidents. More serious incidents may require greater management intervention including formal disciplinary action and could even lead to matters being heard by the Human Rights Commission.

The report goes on to speak from the perspective of business leaders:

“We would all like to think we have an environment that is respectful and inclusive… the reality is there is an undercurrent of behaviour that perceives and treats women differently.”

When we combine these attitudes with common responses to everyday sexism such as ‘it’s political correctness gone mad’ or ‘man up’ and not be seen as a whinger, it becomes clear why a culture of deflection or inaction can be allowed to fester.

In light of the many recent well publicised cases involving sexual misconduct worldwide, a slow changing of the paradigm is occurring (dubbed ‘The Weinstein Effect’). There is an increasing willingness to report and take a concerted stand against what is deemed to be unacceptable behaviour whether intended or not.

For workplace relations advice, contact our specialist team.