Society has made great strides inequality in the workplace in even just the last few decades. More women are employed in leadership roles in top companies across the country. But even in emergent field of work, there is a male bias, especially when it comes to gender discrimination in tech industry jobs. If you feel you have been the victim of sexism in tech industry work, it might be time to consider legal action to protect your rights in the workplace. If you don’t have to read the article, use the free employment attorney consultation option that your local attorney may offer.
Employment Gap
Women consist of nearly half the adult workforce in the United States. However, the number of women who worked in the tech industry dropped from 36% in 1991 to just 26% in 2014, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Minority women made up even less of the workforce compared :
- Caucasian women: 19%
- African American: 3%
- Hispanic women: 1%
- Asian women: 5%
The outgrowth of STEM jobs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) remains one of the top areas of potential employment, with higher employment rates compared to other industries around the country.
And when it comes to job retention, more women dropped out of the technology industry over time. The rate of women with technology related degrees who stayed in STEM industries over time was substantially lower than that of men. Nearly 40% of women with computer science degrees remained compared to more than 50% with men, while nearly a quarter of women with engineering degrees remained, compared to men at 30%.
According to NCWIT, overall overtime, 47% percent of women quit jobs related to science fields; 39% quit engineering-related fields, and 56% quit technology related jobs. Breaking down the numbers, 49% of women use their training, through self-employment (22%), working for a start-up company (10%), or working for the government or a non-profit company (17%). However, 51% abandon their training that they worked hard to get, either through spending time outside the workforce (20%), getting a non-tech job within their current job (7%), or a non-tech job at an outside company (24%).
Sexism in Tech Industry Compared To Other Industries
Even in the era of “Me Too”, there remains a substantially male dominated slant to technology related jobs compared to other industries. And in those tech related jobs, women still endure sexism and also sexual harassment in the workplace. In 2019, the social Network, Blind, surveyed nearly 8,000 about sexism and gender discrimination in the workplace. Thirty-seven percent of respondents report witnessing gender discrimination in the workplace. And the year before, a Blind user conducted a survey to see who had witnessed sexism in the workplace, and a startling 47% percent reported they had witnessed such action. That is more than four out of ten people. Compared to other industries, according to the Pew research center, women in technology related industries were more likely to report gender discrimination and sexual harassment as a major problem. The only other industry with higher numbers than the STEM industry was entertainment and media.
Gender Stereotyping in the Workplace and the Discrimination It Creates
After decades of sexism and gender discrimination being the norm in the workplace, it’s hard to dispel gender stereotyping in the work. A 2012 Smithsonian study revealed some insights into how technology professors at colleges and universities viewed women students and applicants versus their male counterparts. One-hundred and twenty-seven professors were asked to evaluate a prospective, but theoretical, college student’s job application to the university. All aspects, like GPA and transcripts being equal, the only thing that differed was the gender. Sixty-four “applicants” were named John, while the remaining were named “Jennifer”. The study found, regardless of age or sex of the job application evaluators, the female ”applicant” was viewed in a less favorable and competent light than the male “applicant”. Other studies have revealed ongoing issues including lower salaries, lower access to professional networking and advancement opportunities, and lower chances of advancement, publication and receiving grants. This fosters an ongoing negative environment for women trying to advance in STEM industries.
Signs of Gender Discrimination in Your Company
Gender stereotyping in the workplace and the discrimination it creates comes in many forms and guises. Some are overt like commenting on a woman’s looks. Others are more subtle, like salary advancement opportunities. But the bottom line is, it means that one class of people is treated differently and less favorably than another. These are some of the more common signs of gender discrimination in tech industry:
- Not being offered a job, or being offered a lower-paying job than male counterparts
- Being denied a pay hike, promotion, or job training because of gender
- Being disciplined more often or more harshly compared to someone of a different gender for the same infraction
- Employers or other employees constantly calling a person a different gender than their gender of choice, despite the person’s objections
- Making gender-based comments or name-calling about someone, not appropriate in a workplace setting
- Being denied promotions or training opportunities or given undesirable work tasks or being forced out if a person is pregnant
Whether intentional or unintentional, explicit or implicit, actions and words can be classified as gender discrimination if it negatively impacts the rules, responsibilities and benefits of a job, if based on gender. “Sex” and “gender” are terms often substituted for each other, but regardless of which is used, there are laws on the books that direct employers on how to deal with sexism in the tech industry. And many employers are offering awareness training to combat sexism and gender discrimination in the workplace. However, until the time when there is no sexism in the tech industry, there are legal options available to protect yourself in the workplace. Call our law firm to speak with our employment legal team if you feel you have been the victim of sexism in tech industry.
