The post Benevolent Sexism: Flip the Script (Infographic) appeared first on Catalyst.

In reality, research shows that sexual harassment is made up of a wide range of derogatory, demeaning, and/or humiliating behaviors rooted in traditional, heteronormative beliefs about sex and gender. While sexual harassment does include behavior aimed at starting a sexual relationship, it can also involve sexist comments that are meant to reinforce norms about how women and men are “supposed” to behave.

As organizations continue to struggle with this issue—often very publicly—it’s essential that leaders recognize the realities, myths, and costs of sexual harassment for both their employees and their business. In particular, leaders must pay attention to the many organizational factors that drive how often sexual harassment occurs and what happens when it does.

Highlights include:

• Three types of sexual harassment.
• Five common misconceptions about sexual harassment.
• Costs for organizations.
• Additional resources.

How to cite this product: Brassel, S. (2021). Sexual harassment at work: What it is, what it isn’t, and how it harms your organization: Topic overview. Catalyst.

The post Sexual Harassment at Work: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How It Harms Your Organization (Topic Overview) appeared first on Catalyst.

According to the latest data:

• Women make up only 5% of those currently working in the skilled trades in Canada.²
• Just 8% of working women in Europe are in male-dominated industries.³
• Only 6.5% of women working full-time in the United States worked in male-dominated industries in 2020.⁴

Women have experienced recent gains in employment in male-dominated fields in the US:

• Between February 2020 and March 2022 women saw a percentage increase of:⁵
  • 7% in construction jobs.
  • 15% in transportation and warehousing jobs.

But challenges remain: 

• Globally, while women’s share of leadership roles has been steadily increasing, this has largely been in industries dominated by women. Energy (20%), manufacturing (19%), and infrastructure (16%) were the three lowest ranking industries in terms of percent increase in 2022.⁶
• In Europe, the largest growth in jobs occurred among women in the past two decades, but these jobs have been in women-dominated sectors.⁷

Women Face Increased Harassment and Discrimination Working in Male-Dominated Workplaces⁸

Male-dominated industries and occupations may reinforce harmful stereotypes and creating unfavorable environments that make it even more difficult for women to excel.⁸

Across the globe, women working in male-dominated industries are more likely to experience sexual harassment than those working in other industries.⁹

• In 2020, nearly half (47%) of Canadian women working in trades, transportation, equipment operation, and related occupations reported experiences of inappropriate sexual behavior at work.¹⁰
• In the US, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission receives more reports of sexual harassment from women working in male-dominated industries like construction, utilities, mining, and transportation and warehousing.⁸
  • Women of color, particularly Black women, are least likely to report having support from their managers, which can contribute to a lack of leadership opportunities.⁸

Women working in male-dominated industries face a variety of challenges in addition to sexual harassment, including:

• Societal expectations and beliefs that question women’s leadership and managerial abilities.¹¹
• Pervasive stereotypes leading women to take on necessary but rarely rewarded “office housework”.¹²
• High levels of stress, anxiety, depression, lowered self-esteem, and self-handicapping behaviors stemming from feelings of “imposter syndrome”.¹²
• Lack of mentoring and career development opportunities.¹³

Since women are the predominant caregivers in families, they are looked at unfavorably when they need to take time off in industries commonly lacking paid sick leave, like construction.¹⁴

Women use various mechanisms to cope with working in male-dominated work environments, such as:

• Overworking to “prove themselves” which may eventually lead to early burn out.¹²
• Giving into pressure to act like “one of the boys,” exacerbating the problem by contributing to the normalization of a “locker room” culture.¹⁵
• Leaving the industry.⁸
  • Women sexually harassed at work are 6.5 times as likely to change jobs, often to one with lower pay.¹⁶

Occupational Segregation Contributes to the Gender Gap⁸

Women and men remain concentrated in different jobs and fields, a trend known as occupational segregation, which is deeply rooted in racist and societal biases and maintained by policy design.¹⁷ Occupational segregation is a significant contributor to the gender and racial wage gap.⁸

In the US:

• Jobs that pay more are disproportionally held by White men while those that pay less are disproportionally held by women, especially women of color.⁸
• Male-dominated industries aren’t the only sectors with a pay gap: women earn less than men in 94% of occupations,¹⁸ even those that are dominated by women.¹⁹

In addition to other Catalyst resources on the pay gap, see Women’s Earnings: The Pay Gap (Quick Take) and The Gender Pay Gap (Ask Catalyst Express).

SELECTED INDUSTRIES

Canada²⁰

Europe²¹

*No data available
^Mining, Energy, and Water Supply

United States²²

LEARN MORE

• Recruiting and Retaining Women in Male-Dominated Industries: Actionable Tips and Examples Association for Women in Science
• Equal Pay Behind the “Glass Door”? The Gender Gap in Upper Management in a Male-Dominated Industry Gender, Work & Organization
• When You Work in A Male-Dominated Industry Harvard Business Review
• Retaining Women in Male-Dominated Occupations across Cultures: The Role of Supervisor Support and Psychological Safety Human Performance
• Full list of Quick Takes
  • Ask Catalyst Express: STEM
  • Quick Take: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

How to cite this product: Women in male-dominated industries and occupations: Quick take. (2023). Catalyst.

The post Women in Male-Dominated Industries and Occupations (Quick Take) appeared first on Catalyst.

Highlights include:

• What an ombuds program is and how they function
• How ombuds programs support diversity and inclusion
• Some of the many things the ombuds at one organization do

How to cite this product: Hughes, V. & Troiano, E. (2020). How ombuds programs can promote diversity and inclusion: Topic overview. Catalyst.

The post How Ombuds Programs Can Promote Diversity and Inclusion (Topic Overview) appeared first on Catalyst.

The post Le harcèlement sexuel en milieu de travail – ce que les employés doivent savoir (Infographique) appeared first on Catalyst.

The post Le harcèlement sexuel en milieu de travail – ce que les employeurs doivent savoir (Infographique) appeared first on Catalyst.

The #MeToo response to sexual harassment has caused some people to feel confusion, fear, and even anger while others see progress and opportunity. Some men may feel unsure of how to interact with their female colleagues in this new era.  But #MeToo is a call to action as our workplaces shift and the beginning of meaningful dialogues that increase understanding and dismantles outdated behaviors — behaviors that demean, diminish, or endanger.

In this 10-minute Knowledge Burst, you will learn to reduce anxiety and fear by:

• Increasing awareness of behaviors that may put your work culture at risk.
• Begin to learn the skills needed to communicate inclusively to engage in a #MeToo dialogue with your colleagues, team, ERG, or business unit.

The post Disrupting Sexism in the Workplace: Knowledge Burst appeared first on Catalyst.

In this Knowledge Burst, you will learn easy-to-use tactics to interrupt or stop sexual harassment at work, no matter your role in the organization. Bystander intervention is a straightforward way to make a difference. By the end of this Knowledge Burst, you and your co-workers will feel empowered to steer your organization toward a healthy and inclusive culture.

In this 10-minute Knowledge Burst you will learn:

• What bystander intervention is.
• Five simple tactics to intervene.
• Tactics to intervene in “lower-intensity” situations.

The post Bystander Intervention – How You Can Stop Sexual Harassment at Work: Knowledge Burst appeared first on Catalyst.