Gender and the Workplace

Stereotypes persist as outlined below:

• Even with equal qualifications and achievements, women are perceived less favorably than men as reflected in evaluations and promotions.
• Women who comprise less than half the workforce in a business are also more likely to be pushed toward tasks that are stereotypically feminine, such as support work.
• Given equivalent positions, men are perceived as more influential than women. Men are also more likely to resist influence from women.
• Research shows that women are not afforded as much of a repertoire of behaviors when it comes to assertiveness. That is, women are either viewed as “not assertive enough” or “too assertive.”
• Women are more likely to be stereotyped as “family focused” and “unwilling to travel” and therefore tend to be passed up for promotions. This is called the “motherhood assumption” by researchers.

Source: The Prevalence of Gender Stereotyping and Bias, Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology

2008 Women's salary differential compared to men

• All women: 79.9 percent
• Women who have never married: 94.2 percent