Research conducted by professional training company Roar Training has uncovered the current state of inequality in the workplace. Evidence-based practical steps from the company aim to combat inequality and help both men and women become better allies.
The study of 600 employees from across the globe revealed that 54% of women believe that their gender has negatively affected their career progression.
In fact, 47% of men don’t believe that women are treated equally in the workplace, and 31% have experienced a co-worker being treated unfairly because of her gender.
The research collated by Roar Training’s founder Kirsty Hulse and Marketing Analyst Sarah Gurbs aims to highlight the issues women face at work and provide evidence-based practical steps for men and women to identify what it means, and how to be a positive ally.
Main findings
How do women currently perceive inequality in the workplace?
- 54% of women believe that their gender has negatively affected their career progression.
- 51% of women report a general sense of wanting to “be believed” when they discuss or report inequality.
- 27% of female respondents have been actively supported by a male coworker when being treated unfairly in the workplace. However, 56% were not actively supported and 17% unsure.
- 92% of women want an open dialogue, where issues can be addressed together, discussed on a case by case basis.
How do men currently perceive inequality in the workplace?
- 31% have experienced a co-worker being treated unfairly because of her gender.
- 64% of male respondents said that female co-workers are offered the same opportunities as them and 10% believe their female co-workers are offered more.
- A large majority (91%) respond that gender equality is either important, or extremely important to them. However only 71%, actively support gender equality in the workplace.
Commenting on the findings Kirsty Hulse, Founder of Roar Training said
The route to both achieving gender parity in the workplace, and ensuring those within businesses feel their is a commitment to this is undoubtedly nuanced, complex and subjective. This research suggests there is an agreed starting point when addressing the issue of gender equality in the workplace.
Hulse continues:
There is seemingly no “rule” as to whether sexist behaviour ought to be openly called out, or the role of male allies is to facilitate positive change in the background. This is entirely subjective to the individual, and seemingly differs depending on which stage of their careers they are in. Based on this, the most effective male allies are those whom discuss openly their biases, actively listen to their female coworkers and ask how their female colleagues would best like to address these issues.
Suggested Actions
- Listen and believe what is being reported. Many women reported that their male co-workers do not “believe” how they feel, which is supported by a disparity between female reporting how they feel in the workplace, and male perceptions.
- Be awareness of bias that may be informing actions and decisions is cited as important for both men and women to begin working towards true gender parity.
- Create an open dialogue so that issues can be addressed according to a specific individuals needs.
