How do men view misogyny?
Plenty of men have been brought up with deep-rooted misogyny, which is harmful to themselves and women. When men hear the term ‘misogyny’, they usually identify it as hate towards women. Hence, the possibility of being called a misogynist in a work environment is a fear for many today because they are ashamed of being called one. In the fear of that, they react and try to prove that their relationships with plenty of women are on a good note. The problem is, misogyny is something we are practicing almost unconsciously because we are embedded in a culture where we internalize the customs and social norms. All of us are implicated, even if we’re not aware of it. That’s why it’s important to identify it, act on it, and make the work environment a safe place for everyone.
What would a misogynist do?
The first step in identifying misogyny in a work environment is to be able to spot a misogynist. If a woman were to professionally or socially perform better, a misogynist would feel terrible whereas if it were a man in place of a woman, he would look at the situation from an objective point of view. It could be that he’s unknowingly treating women differently from men in a social setting. Sexual harassment towards women, transgender, the genderqueer, and non-binary staff is also severe. “Borrowing” ideas from women and not giving them credit, discrimination, and focusing on women’s physical appearance rather than their talent are more evident signs of sexism in a work environment.
Why we need gender equality & the solutions
It’s very important to have a wide range of perspectives and views in a work environment. Having gender-equal workforces gives the company varied perspectives and different approaches which would result in better decision making. It leads to a better economy in the end because when women are a high percentage of consumers, women should be involved in making decisions about product development and marketing. Therefore, to tackle misogyny in a work environment, it’s firstly important to encourage men to develop self-awareness and speak up about any discrimination found. There should be company policies that are clearly against any harassment and bullying. Any Reportings should be taken seriously and should be handled in the right manner by staff who are trained for this. Any rewards should be given based on performance to where all genders are given equal opportunities and Interview panels should represent diversity. Let's identify misogyny, act on it, and make the work environment a safe place for everyone.
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