According to the #StOpE 2023 barometer on sexism in the business world, eight out of 10 women consider sexist attitudes and decisions at work “regular”.
Eight out of 10 women believe that sexist attitudes and decisions are “regular at work”, according to the #StOpE 2023 barometer, consulted this Thursday by France Inter. A “observation unchanged for two years and today shared by all generations”adds the barometer, which nevertheless notes some positive developments.
The #StOpE initiative – stop ordinary sexism in the workplace – brings together nearly 200 companies committed against ordinary sexism in the workplace. After a first barometer in 2021, the collective unveils the results of its second edition this Thursday.
More than 3/4 of women exposed to sexist jokes
In detail, this new barometer specifies that for 79% of the women questioned, “women are regularly confronted with sexist attitudes or decisions in the world of work”. A statement shared by “57% of men” and that “stagnant compared to 2021”. The barometer highlights that women are confronted with this ordinary sexism in different ways: through jokes in particular, with “more than 3/4 of women exposed and 2/3 of men”.
The study adds that “6 out of 10 women have already heard degrading remarks based on stereotypical representations of femininity” but note however a positive point: “This situation has fallen by 8 points compared to 2021”. Maternity also continues to be seen as a “issue” for the company and a “disability” for women’s careers. On this point, “nearly 7 out of 10 women report this type of comment, as in 2021”.
Regarding career development: “50% of women consider that they have already faced certain obstacles during their career because of their gender (increase or bonuses not received: 36%, promotions not granted: 31%)”. The barometer explains that ordinary sexism at work is not without consequences for women: “1 out of 2 women is very affected […] 4 out of 10 women have experienced compliments on their looks or clothing that made them feel uncomfortable”.
“A daily sexism that sometimes cannot be seen“
Questioned by France Inter, Brigitte Grésy, specialist in questions of sexism at work defines this Thursday on France Inter ordinary sexism as the set of “these gestures, these words and these behaviors which look like nothing, in an insidious and underhanded way delegitimize and disqualify women in the world of work“. She mentions in particular “sexist jokes like ‘are you blonde or what?’“, reflections on management as “you don’t have the shoulders for that” or those on motherhood such as “you’re going to take another three months of vacation“.”It’s a daily sexism that sometimes can’t be seen“, deplores the former president of the High Council for Equality between women and men. Brigitte Grésy counts “four homes where sexism is totally encysted” to know “the attitude to women’s management with this myth of female leadership where we try to essentialize the skills of women who would be soft and empathetic; maternity ; professional inequalities; and everyday incivilities such as jokes, paradoxical injunctions, incivilities in meetings when you cut the floor“.
She also explains that there is a “sexism against men“but whose”the consequences on their work and their well-being have absolutely nothing to do withr”. Brigitte Grésy thus denounces “the sexism of humiliation with phrases like ‘you’re a sissy’ and the sexism of injunction with ‘do this, be a man, don’t cry‘”.
The specialist, who accompanies the signatory companies, expected “that there is really significant progress [en 2023]on the one hand because #MeToo has been there, the law has been there, we have new sexist incriminations, especially in the criminal code‘. She does so by this Thursday of her ”astonishment“and its”disappointment“in the face of this”unabated sexism“.
To explain the situation, Brigitte Grésy says: “You never know if that sexism isn’t waning because there are a lot of people who didn’t know it was sexism and now say it is.“. But for the specialist, this does not change the conclusions: “Nevertheless, we have 90% of women who believe that they have been impacted by sexism and that this has affected their behavior at work, 80% who believe that professional inequalities for women are greater, and 80% who believe have been victims of sexism“. Numbers she describes as “huge“.
More positive lessons
However, the barometer draws some more positive lessons: the fact, for example, that “half of employees say they are more attentive to sexist comments and behavior. This is twice the national average“. Other point, “in two years, the percentage of employees who have received training on sexism at work has more than doubled in member companies of the #StOpE collective. Half of employees have been made aware of the subject, compared to less than a quarter on the national averagee”. But Brigitte Grésy regrets the persistence “barriers or fear” which encourage women not necessarily to denounce the sexist acts of which they are victims or witnesses. She thus observes that “for many women, the cost of denunciation is greater than the cost of acceptance“.
The barometer specifies that nearly 90,000 people in 15 organizations responded to the survey. The survey was conducted online from March 6 to April 15, 2023. It was also doubled by a national survey conducted over the same period among 1,000 employees of public and private companies (excluding civil service employees). 200 or more employees.