Despite laws and regulations in place at various levels, the number of women who climb the corporate ladder remains marginal, in part owing to clichés that persist about their ability to manage or hold a key position.
And these stereotypes plague women at every stage of their professional careers, according to a recent American study.
The survey was conducted by Harvard Business Review with 913 American women working in four different sectors – law, faith-based non-profit organisations, higher education, and healthcare.
It revealed that a large number of women professionals have already experienced age-related prejudice and discrimination in the workplace, especially when applying for positions of responsibility.
These demeaning experiences result in women feeling discouraged and, above all, act as obstacles to them pursuing further advancement.
The problem lies in attitudes towards ageing. Ageism, which can be as insidious as racism or sexism, can affect individuals at different parts of their life, and the consequences aren’t insignificant.
In fact, women in particular can be victims of ageism at any stage in their working life, older or younger. Young employees are seen as unsuitable for holding senior positions due to “inexperience”, an underestimation of their skills, or a supposed lack of maturity.
This type of stigmatisation may take the form, for example, of pseudo-affectionate nicknames such as “miss”, or hostile comments about a supposed specificity of the younger generation on the job market, such as “young people don’t want to work”.
Although not necessarily intended to be discriminatory or to cause grief, these remarks can constitute microaggressions which, in the long run, give young recruits the feeling they are not fully accepted and respected by their colleagues.
Conversely, more experienced professionals are refused promotions or more responsible positions because of perceived lack of availability for the company, or because of clichés about ageing (for instance related to menopause) – even as certain US companies are offering “grandternity leave” to senior workers.
Women of childbearing age are often sidelined because of family responsibilities, while those over 40 are seen as lacking in fresh ideas or energy and vitality. Their skills are often neglected or considered obsolete, given technological developments.
As a result, these workers experience feelings of dejection and are ignored in the professional sphere because of their age.
This survey shows that ageism, specifically what the publication terms “gendered ageism”, can hinder women’s progress at any stage of their careers. “There was always an age-based excuse to not take women seriously, to discount their opinions, or to not hire or promote them,” reads the Harvard Business Review article on the findings.
It outlines that it’s essential to take concrete steps to recognise and value the contribution of women in business, whatever their age, and to ensure that ageism does not have lasting damaging effects on the careers and health of female employees.
This is because such marginalisation has serious and far-reaching consequences for victims: the World Health Organization estimates that 6.3 million cases of depression worldwide are due to ageism.