It’s no secret that for most women, the journey up the corporate
ladder tends to be a challenging one. For black women, however, the climb is especially arduous.
In fact, according to LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company’s 2019 Women in the Workplace study,
— which takes a look at the representation of women throughout
corporate America — 44 percent of companies have three or more women in
their C-suite. Even so, just 1 in 25 of C-suite executives identify as
women of color, with just 58 percent of black women being promoted to
manager for every 100 entry-level men who receive similar promotions.
The study attributes this to the “broken rung,” a systematic
roadblock which often prevents black women from advancing at the same
rate as their peers. It’s this “broken rung” that this year’s Women in
the Workplace study examines, highlighting the experiences of women of
color, queer women, and women with disabilities — who statistically face
more barriers and receive less support, hindering their overall growth
in the workplace.
Generally speaking, it’s true that women have ascended at higher
rates in the corporate world in recent years, which speaks to the
overdue progress being made. McKinsey & Company highlights how this
recent progress could spell out a positive impact across the board when
it comes to promoting diversity in the workplace.
“Still, we shouldn’t confuse progress with parity,” McKinsey’s Kevin Sneader and Lareina Yee told Wall Street Journal
last month. “To create workplaces where young men and women progress
equally into top-level business leaders, we must address a glaring
gender disparity at the very first rung of the corporate ladder.”
Below are additional key findings:
73 Percent of Women Experience Microaggressions And Discrimination at Work
And
while it’s true that 59 percent of men have also experienced
microaggressions in the workplace, as noted in the report, numbers show
that women are twice as likely to be met with them.
The likelihood
increases when looking at the experiences of black women, who are the
most likely to have their competency questioned by their peers.
Additionally, lesbian women, bisexual women, and women with disabilities
are more likely to be demeaned and spoken negatively about.
41 Percent of Women Have Been Sexually Harassed at Some Point in Their Career
That’s
two in five women who shared that they have experienced some form of
sexual harassment during their career, including – but not limited to –
receiving unwanted sexual attention.
According to the study,
lesbian women and bisexual women are more likely to be sexually harassed
than others. Women who are in technical and leadership roles are also
more likely to be sexually harassed, due to the fact that they challenge
what women are conventionally expected to do. Those with disabilities
also experience sexual harassment at higher rates.
Women Who Are Often the “Only” in the Room Have a More Negative Work Experience than Those Who Work with Other Women
To
put things into perspective, the study reveals that 1 in 5 women says
that they are often the “only” one in the room. This occurrence, similar
to those who face sexual harassment, is twice as likely for those in
senior-level and technical roles.
That’s because when put into an
environment where they are the “only,” they are essentially placed in a
breeding ground for microaggressions, and may face more instances in
which they must prove their competence (many are mistaken to be more
junior than they actually are). “At work, I’m under a microscope,” a VP
who identifies as a black lesbian woman shared in the report. “I feel an
immense pressure to perform.” Being the “only” woman also heightens the
likelihood of sexual harassment.
