We may keep comforting ourselves that things are improving for women at work, but surveys throw up discouraging data year after year. Women have faced subtle prejudices at work for ages now. Microaggressions keep them from fully enjoying their professional life. They are definitely not faring very well at work. Any improvement in their status at as professionals, if at all, is negligible and limited to a few rare and lucky ones.
This year’s Women @ Work 2024 report by Deloitte does indicate some progress in terms of a reduction in the number of women who admit to having experienced non-inclusive behaviours at work. However, 43 per cent of them have experienced microaggressions or harassment (or both) in the past one year. Thirty-one per cent have experienced microaggressions, four per cent have been sexually harassed and eight per cent have experienced some other form of harassment. One-fourth of them admit that seniors in their organisation have behaved inappropriately with them or passed unsuitable comments.
Microaggressions, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, are subtle comments or actions that unintentionally indicate prejudice. They are instances of indirect discrimination against members of a marginalised group.
About 5,000 women from organisations across 10 countries were asked about the behaviours experienced by them at work in the past 12 months, and 31 per cent said microaggressions, four per cent said sexual harassment and eight per cent stated other types of harassment.
Clearly, more women are reporting microaggressions than in previous years, and yet, more than four in 10 failed to report their experiences to their employer. Similarly, one-third of those who experienced sexual harassment at work did not report the same to their employer. Why? Most of the women surveyed felt the matter wasn’t serious enough to be reported. The respondents feared retaliation and believed that not only would they not be taken seriously, but their situation at work would worsen. One in ten of the women thought confidentiality would be compromised, and that would ultimately ruin their career.
Hardly one in 10 women believe that reporting non-inclusive behaviours at work will not have an adverse impact on their career. The number of women who feel confident that action would be taken against the perpetrators, irrespective of their rank or position, is equally small. A significant 66 per cent of the women surveyed reported sexual harassment, while 71 per cent reported other types of harassment and 58 per cent reported microaggressions.
Women, worldwide, need to thrive in the workplace and not just survive. A few stories of success should not make organisations complacent. There is still a long way to go on the path of diversity and inclusion.