Gender stereotypes can be very dangerous, especially in the workplace. They can lead to discrimination and unfair treatment. People may not even realize how these myths are guiding the way that they think and influencing people’s careers.
For instance, perhaps your boss thinks that men make better leaders than women, which is one of the most common myths. If you’re a female worker trying to apply for a promotion to a leadership position, is that going to hold you back? Is it going to mean that the promotion goes to someone else when you are clearly the best candidate for the job?
Despite how common these myths are, experts agree that they simply do not hold up to scrutiny. One report came right out and stated that “men and women are basically alike in terms of personality, cognitive ability and leadership. “
There’s no difference. However, other studies have shown that people often do not understand that there’s no difference. For example, these studies have discovered that women have trouble getting evaluated and hired if they do not appear nurturing and caring. There is a typical feminine stereotype that says that’s how they should act, and women who are aggressive and authoritative may find it harder to advance their careers, seeing jobs go to men who act the exact same way.
As you can see, there are a lot of issues with the way the different sexes are treated in the workplace, from discrimination to harassment. If you find yourself facing some of these challenges, make sure you know what legal steps you can take so that they don’t negatively impact your career.