Discrimination

In the workplace, many women are often faced and confronted with sexism or racism comments. According to article “Women in the Workplace 2018”, the writers explain how these sexism and racism comments are known as microaggressions. All types of women from different ethnicities and backgrounds encounter microaggressions as well as discrimination in their work environment. There are times where women have their knowledge and proficiency questioned by their other colleagues because they are seen as inferior in the workplace. Women also sometimes have to show proof of their level of skillfulness in a particular area twice as more than men do in business. The writers also mention how black women and lesbian women are more likely to experience these microaggressions more than any other women.

Furthermore, the writers conducted a study in which they were able to compare the amount of women with the amount of men who experience microaggressions in the business world. Their results showed that about 26% of women claim to be addressed in an unprofessional and inappropriate way in their workplace and only 16% of men encounter this issue. About 31% of women in business are asked to show proof of their work accomplishments and only 16% of men have been asked to provide evidence of their work capabilities. In addition, 40% of black women and 37% of lesbian women have their judgement questioned in their area of expertise compared to the 27% of men who come across this same problem. About 71% of lesbian women have been confronted with degrading comments about who they are as a person and their character which leads them to be more in closed about their personal lives at work.

Not only do women experience microaggressions, but they also experience being the only woman in the room. If they are not the only woman in the room, then they are one of two women in the room. Women who tend to be the only ones face more microaggressions than women who work with other women. Also, women who experience being the only ones are more likely to have an unhappy work environment which can lead them to isolate themselves from their work and can drive them to eventually leave their jobs.

In the end, it is very important for companies to bring attention to discrimination against women that is currently happening in the workplace. It can help to better the work environment of many companies and bring equal opportunities to both women and men. Discrimination is one of the many issues women face in the workplace. If this issue continues, it can discourage women from pursuing a business career which would then lower the percentage of women going into the business world. It can also lead current women who have a place in business to abandon their jobs and go off to search for a new job or a new company to work for that can provide them with a better work environment.

Reference: Krivkovich, Alexis, et al. “Women in the Workplace 2018.” McKinsey & Company, Oct. 2018, http://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-in-the-workplace-2018.