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The top 10 sexist things that happen to women at work

87 per cent of women feel there is a glass ceiling in their professional lives

Hardeep Matharu
Thursday 17 September 2015 14:10 BST
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Family law barrister Charlotte Proudman has ignited a heated sexism debate
Family law barrister Charlotte Proudman has ignited a heated sexism debate (Charlotte Proudman/Twitter)

Nearly nine in 10 women believe their gender is a barrier to progressing their careers.

The study of 2,000 women, commissioned by Stylist magazine, quizzed women on examples of sexism they had experienced personally at work – with making tea and enduring sexual innuendos topping the list.

The survey found 17 per cent of women believed they had been passed over for promotion solely because of their gender, with more than one-third saying it was unfairly assumed that their work was less taxing than men’s.

24 per cent said it was harder to get recognition for their achievements as they tended to be more reserved than their male counterparts, and one-fifth said they felt men could get away with comparatively more slacking off in the office.

These are the 10 most common:

The survey found the following results:

1 Being expected to make the tea – 43 per cent

2 Enduring sexual innuendos – 38 per cent

3 Having appearance/clothing commented on – 33 per cent

4 Being accused of being pre-menstrual/menstrual – 29 per cent

5 Being presumed less competent than male colleagues – 27 per cent

6 Been joked about in a sexist way – 24 per cent

7 Being paid less than male colleagues for the same job – 19 per cent

8 Being presumed to be more junior than they are – 18 per cent

9 Being spoken over/patronised in meetings – 18 per cent

10 Being expected to keep the office tidy – 17 per cent

The issue of women’s rights has been a hot topic of debate in recent weeks.

New Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was attacked over the lack of female appointments to prominent roles in his shadow cabinet; actress Helen Mirren spoke out about her dislike of men placing their arms around women, saying she felt it denoted ownership; while barrister Charlotte Proudman attracted widespread praise and criticism for publishing a private LinkedIn message from a male lawyer who had told her she looked “stunning” in her profile photo.

The survey was commissioned by Stylist magazine.

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