“But nothing will change until we change,” he tweeted. “Until we stop blaming ‘bad men’ — while ignoring the sexist attitudes in our society that created them.”
“Until we recognise that while not all disrespectful behaviour towards women leads to violence, all violence towards women starts with disrespect.”
Such a big statement acknowledging a culture of sexism doesn’t seem like a big deal until you read some of the replies to his tweets, and see that what Andrews has to say is controversial to many fierce defenders of the status quo.
The missing piece of the puzzle is ‘how’ do we challenge a culture of sexism.
Sarah Barnett believes we can start in the workplace. Below she maps out a few ways leaders can chip away at the innocuous behaviours that manifest in workplaces, especially in disparate pay rates.
Whether Andrew Daniels’ recent Twitter comment is an example of political posturing or courageous leadership (I’m buoyed by the possibility that it’s the latter), it is strangely comforting to see a Premier call out that we do indeed have a sexism problem – particularly at a time where we see unabashed outrage over a Gillette commercial and increasingly visible pushback on the #metoo movement, because, gosh – when will men catch a break?
And sure, Daniels is ignoring the many complex issues of social disadvantage that underly the case against the man charged with murder over the death of student Aiia Maasarwe, but by acknowledging the very presence of sexism and its far-reaching, damaging implications, he is helping to normalise what is often very taboo to discuss.
Many women are loathe to call out everyday sexism in the workplace, lest they become that woman: the ‘hysterical’, banshee figure that ruins everyone’s fun, is overly sensitive and expects preferential treatment. Rather than sit idly by with vague hope that one day the gender pay gap becomes the myth that indeed many of those unaffected by it claim it to be, let’s look at some practical ways we can start chipping away at our culture of sexism in the workplace.
You don’t need to work with a bunch of dinosaurs to experience sexism in the workplace, and you don’t need to be an old white man to inadvertently perpetuate many of the sexist attitudes that – in their own seemingly innocuous ways – contribute to inequality in the workplace and beyond.
Here are some points that leaders – both men and women alike – can consider to make sure they’re helping to chip away at sexism in the workplace:
Run a stocktake of what each of your team members is paid, and reconcile this against the output they produce and ideas they generate.
Adjust as necessary so that remuneration is commensurate to actual value delivered – rather than a reflection of how well they negotiate or sell themselves. We know that while women – in Australian at least –are as likely as men to ask for a pay rise, they are less likely to get it, particularly older women. Help even the playing field by providing clarity on the salary negotiation process and make your decisions with a clear view on how valuable each team member is to the organisation rather than an estimate of what they’ll accept.
Consider who performs what a team of Harvard researchers refer to as ‘non-promotable’ tasks.
You know, those ad hoc tasks that don’t sit neatly within anyone’s job description: watering the plants, organising staff parties, filling the stationery order. Research tells us that men are more likely than women to avoid volunteering or to say ‘no’ when asked. To ensure a more even spread, you may need to allocate these tasks.
Look at the amount of flexibility you provide parents in your workplace and whether this is taken up evenly by both men and women.
Make sure your male team members know you’re not paying lip service to equality when you encourage them to take time off to complete ‘family duties’. We all have a part to play in addressing the systemic issues that relegate women to part time work and that in turn downplay part-time roles, contribute to men missing out on opportunities to connect with their children and to share the load with their partners who are likely also participating in paid work.
Challenge people on the language they use to describe the work they do.
I’m fortunate to work alongside a group of evolved types, however this is no match for the imposter phenomenon, which is alive and kicking in my world and sees me routinely undersell the work I do. Celebrate people’s achievements, encourage them to accept compliments (of the ‘nice work’ not the ‘nice arse’ variety) and to take ownership of the impact of the good work they do.
But nothing will change until we change, too. Until we stop blaming ‘bad men’ – while ignoring the sexist attitudes in our society that created them.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) January 18, 2019