SELF HELP RESOURCE - Work / Career Concerns

Why We All Should Choose To Challenge Gender Bias At Work!
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Whenever there is talk of gender equality, one question that often gets asked is, “why are we still talking about gender bias when women are being offered the same opportunities as men? Why are we still celebrating International Women's Day, almost a century after it was first celebrated?”   

The fact remains that even though we have come far, with women making serious headway in varied fields, the gender gap is still quite persistent. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, published by the World Economic Forum, gender parity is still 100 years away!  As disappointing as it sounds, all's not lost yet. Together we can strive to create a more gender-equal world by challenging gender bias at work. Let's take a more in-depth look at how gender bias operates at the workplace and how we all, be it men or women, benefit from challenging it.   

Understanding Bias: What It Is & How It Creates Hurdles At The Workplace  

According to research published by the International Labour Organization, unconscious gender bias is the "unintentional and automatic mental associations based on gender, stemming from traditions, norms, values, culture and/or experience". In the workplace, these associations feed into decision-making, often resulting in an employee being assessed on their gender, and not their ability. The research also stated that the way this unconscious gender bias presents itself in the workplace impacts women's career opportunities more often than outright sexism.   

To illustrate this better, let's take a look at what, according to research, are the most common biases that women experience at the workplace:  

  • Likeability bias: This bias is rooted in our expectation and socialisation of each gender. Men who are assertive or to-the-point are often celebrated as go-getters, whereas a woman exhibiting similar behaviour is often seen as "bossy" or "unpleasant". This also works as a double bind wherein the research found that women who were well-liked or amiable were considered less competent!  

  • Performance bias: Performance bias is based on deep-rooted—and incorrect—assumptions about women's and men's abilities. We tend to underestimate women's performance and overestimate men's.  

  • Maternal bias: Motherhood or, in some cases, expectations of impending motherhood trigger false assumptions that women are less committed to their careers.  

  • Attribution bias: Attribution bias is closely linked to performance bias. In quite a few industries, women are seen as less competent than men. They are given less credit for accomplishments and blamed more for mistakes.  

  • Affinity bias: Affinity bias is what it sounds like: we like to work or associate with people who resemble us in appearance, beliefs and background. And we may avoid or even dislike people who are different from us. So, a team with a majority of male members is most likely to choose a man to fill in a vacant position.   

  • Intersectionality: Bias isn't limited to gender. Women can also experience biases due to their race, sexual orientation, disability, or other aspects of their identity.  

Why is this worrying? If not contested or challenged, these biases can impact the gender diversity of teams, hinder the advancement of the right candidates, and limit creative problem-solving that results from having a more diverse group.  

How can fighting gender bias make organisations succeed?  

Before getting into the "how" of the problem, let's understand why fighting gender bias and being better allies to women at the workplace makes so much sense.  

  • Men & women have different points of view, different approaches to work, which leads to creative problem-solving, helping an organisation be more productive.  

  • It makes the workplace appear more attractive to potential talent, with many top women performers preferring more gender-diverse work environments. This is especially important as no workplace can afford to ignore 50 per cent of the potential workforce.  

  • A gender-diverse employee base also allows a company to serve a wider customer base.  

  • Women who experience bias-free working conditions are more likely to experience less pressure, lead more stress-free, happier lives. Happier employees are also more likely to be more productive employees.  

For these reasons, among other ethical ones, fighting gender bias is a great idea not just for creating a more inclusive and progressive workplace, but a more successful one too!  

What can you do to contribute?  

  • If you're a team leader: Make your decision-making gender-blind and use data to guide your decisions as to who gets to work on what. 

  • If you're a recruiter: Promote gender-neutral hiring, and carefully word advertisements to create neutral job descriptions.  

  • As a manager: Conduct trainings and programs to help identify the bias and ways to deal with it. 

  • As a leader: Encourage teammates and employees to call out bias where they see it. Also, make sure that you display gender parity in your actions and interactions with peers and subordinates. 

  • As an ally: Call out bias wherever you see it, including your own. Shine a spotlight on women's achievements to make them visible.  

  • As a woman: Create a space at the table for more women. Encourage and actively mentor other women employees to help them feel more comfortable in the workplace.  

We all win in the fight to challenge gender bias. This International Women's Day, let's all #choosetochallenge gender bias, and create a fair, inclusive and hospitable work environment.  

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