Today, the global community recognizes International Women’s Day. Therefore, it’s only fitting to discuss the challenges that many women face in California alongside women’s rights. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination is still among these issues.
A Pew Research Center survey asked both women and men to estimate the discrimination and its prevention in their workplaces. Its results show that there are still gaps to close, which likely depends on the workplace environment.
The study paid attention to whether those workplaces contained mostly female or mostly male employees. One-third of women respondents who worked with mostly women believed that sexual harassment was a problem at work. In workplaces with mostly men, however, half of women agreed that sexual harassment is a problem.
Again, many women who worked in a male-dominated setting claimed that other types of bias are high in their job. These women were much more likely to report that colleagues treat women unfairly, especially regarding promotions.
This data may be particularly important here in California. Silicon Valley, while wildly successful, has seen its share of discriminatory claims. Historically, many people have sensed that the technology industry contains a disproportionate amount of men to women professionals. In fact, 62% of women who work with mostly men claim that their industry overall has a problem with discrimination and harassment.
Whether a woman works with more men than women or vice-versa, many forms of gender discrimination are illegal. It’s not always easy to tell which actions are discriminatory in nature. It can also be hard to take the first steps after experiencing discrimination, so contact an experienced attorney to learn more about your legal rights and protections.