| Issue 62 (WAIS 2) Contents
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Discrimination and Harassment
in Engineering Workplaces
Pam Roberts, Senior Lecturer
Centre for Educational Development & Academic Methods
Australian National University
Findings from the Careers Review of Engineering Women (CREW) study.
Introduction
Engineering is the most sex segregated of all the professions. Although the percentage of women undertaking engineering degree courses in Australia has slowly increased from 3.3% in 1980 to 14.8% in 1999, women represent only 6% of the professional engineering workforce. A common perception amongst women engineers is that many of their colleagues are dropping out of the profession soon after graduation.
The Careers Review of Engineering Women or CREW study was undertaken in 2000 by the National Women in Engineering Committee of the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust). CREW set out to investigate the issues surrounding women’s retention, satisfaction and progression in the professional engineering workforce.
In June 2000, the CREW questionnaire was sent to all female members of the IEAust who were resident in Australia, and to an approximately 25% sample of males, matched with the female sample in terms of membership grade, engineering discipline and geographical distribution by State. A total of 1819 surveys were sent out to female members and 450 were sent to male members. Responses were received from 767 female engineers, 42.2% of those sampled, and 122 male engineers, 27.1% of those sampled. Some of the respondents, both female and male, were no longer working as engineers.
Discrimination and harassment
One of the most disturbing findings
of the CREW study was that 36% of women
reported that they experienced discrimination
while working as engineers, and 27%
that they were sexually harassed, compared
(respectively) with 8% and 4% of men.
Altogether 50% of the female respondents experienced sexual harassment and/ or discrimination. Many of the incidents reported in the survey would appear to contravene the 1994 Australian Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act.
The main forms of discrimination found were:
Gender-based harassment.
Women reported that colleagues, managers and clients express views that they are not suited to being engineers and managers.
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Just because I was a woman, they didn’t think I belonged in the workplace and let it be known. |
Gender-based harassment is a common form of discrimination that occurs in male dominated environments and primarily involves the negative stereotyping of women in relation to their attributes, interests and abilities. Gender-based discrimination was exacerbated by racist attitudes towards women from non-English speaking backgrounds, and also by ageism, related to both youth and older age.
Fewer opportunities and rewards.
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Expectation that women do QA, filing, report writing and all tedious repetitive work such as data collection. Promotion unlikely because I am not called “John”. Quote from big boss, which he later retracted but it still applies. |
Boys’ club workplace culture.
Many women described the workplace as a boys’ club in which they felt excluded from social and other networks.
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All networking opportunities were male oriented and not appropriate for me to attend. Many other similar and subtle forms of discrimination. |
The boys’ club workplace culture not only makes women feel isolated and unwelcome in the workplace, it means that they are less likely than men to receive mentoring and gain informal access to job and promotion opportunities.
Family responsibilities and pregnancy – actual and potential.
Women reported that their opportunities for interesting work and promotion were reduced when they became pregnant and took on caring responsibilities for children, because they were no longer seen to be fully committed to their careers.
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My boss told me as I was going on maternity leave that my contract would not be renewed as the job was not suitable for a wife and mother. Fortunately, the boss changed and I am doing well in the position two years later. |
Women without children reported that they too experienced discrimination based on assumptions that all women will have children:
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Manager commented to another worker that I wasn’t being considered for a managerial position because I was going to “go off and have babies”. |
Dealing with harassment: few complaints are made.
Only 18% of female respondents who experienced discrimination and harassment reported that they made a complaint. Complaints were generally made at the internal level, to senior managers and Human Resources (HR) personnel. The few external complaints made mostly occurred after the respondent terminated their employment with that organisation.
Almost 80% of the female respondents chose not to take any action. The most common reasons given for not making a complaint were:
Too hard to prove/ behaviour was covert
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No because all of this was very subtle and it was very hard to actually identify on clear recriminating action. |
Not wanting to affect future employment opportunities.
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The construction industry is too close knit - to complain would make me unemployable. |
Direct action
3% took direct action, such as telling the antagonist that there was a problem. I dealt with the individuals and their comments at the time. I tried to explain that the comments went over the line.
Most incidents have unsatisfactory outcomes.
25% of women reported on the outcomes of their experiences of dealing with incidents of discrimination and harassment.
Only 5% of women reported positive or satisfactory outcomes.
| Brought it up with manager at performance review and indicated it was not satisfactory. No similar events have occurred since. |
Most women reported no action by the company or no change. Some found they were blamed for the incidents, and even had their employment threatened.
Formal complaint made, but the project manager with his manager’s approval put me on warning instead. He was not spoken to or disciplined, whilst my employment may be terminated.
7% of women reported that they left the organization, typically because the situation did not improve.
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Yes I complained repeatedly with no result, so I eventually left. Yes, internal mediation, life was made very difficult by my immediate supervisor. Consequently I left the job. |
Recommended strategies
The CREW study shows many engineering workplaces have cultures that are female - and family-unfriendly. Women are disadvantaged by discrimination and harassment that includes negative perceptions about their abilities and commitment to engineering, their exclusion from social and other networks, and having fewer opportunities for challenging and rewarding work. In particular many women found that having children reduces their job and promotion opportunities because it is assumed that they are no longer committed to their careers. It is disturbing that the perception that women “will go off and have babies” is used to discriminate against all women in their employment and promotion!
Discrimination and harassment cause significant dissatisfaction that results in some women leaving their jobs and the engineering profession. Women are reluctant to report incidents because of the difficulty of proving behaviours that are typically covert and because of fears about their reputations and future employability. Those who do make complaints report that the majority of incidents are not dealt with to their satisfaction.
Many male engineers and managers
appear
to be unaware of their responsibilities under equal
opportunity legislation. Employers are responsible
for creating workplace environments that are free
from harassment and both individuals and
organisations can be held vicariously liable for the
acts or omissions of their staff, unless they can
demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to
prevent the acts from occurring.
These findings suggest compelling reasons for employers to develop policies and programs to eliminate discriminatory behaviours and create workplace cultures that are free from harassment. Many engineering organisations are failing to recognise the costs of losing highly skilled and experienced staff, and to capitalise on the benefits of workplace diversity. The participation and advancement of women in engineering is an essential element of current best management practices for improving workplace productivity and creativity.
The CREW study makes recommendations to government, employers, and the IEAust, about strategies and programs to improve women’s participation and advancement in engineering. Governments need to ensure stricter enforcement of existing equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws so that individual women are not potentially exposed to further discrimination by having to undergo a compliant process. At the corporate level, firm and visible leadership is required to achieve cultural change by making women’s professional issues part of mainstream procedures and processes. Gender equality must become as regular an organisational function as budgeting and annual reporting, and be included in performance review and reward processes.