Challenges Young Women Face and What We Can Do to Help Them

Holly Norton, Ph.D.

“The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment,

including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.”

Equal Opportunity Employment Commission

Sued for Sex Discrimination

Statements made by company vice presidents:

• "Why would we ever waste our time bringing in females?"

• It would be a good idea to get the females "out of here."

• Why do you continue to "hire these girls?"

(“EEOC Sues Performance Food Group for Nationwide Sex Discrimination in Hiring,” 2013)

Sued for Sex Discrimination

• Consistently passed over female applicants in favor of less-qualified males for entry-level positions at all three plants.

• Women who were hired for such positions were harassed.

• A former Presrite employee testified that her male-coworkers told her women should not be working there; called her a "dumb b----h"; drew degrading pictures of her; and suggested that she open the top of her work uniform to pose for a photograph.

(“Presrite Corporation to Pay $700,000 and Offer 40 Jobs to Settle EEOC Class Action Lawsuit,” 2013)

Sued for Sex Discrimation• Received applications from

scores of women since 2006, and yet never hired even a single female for any of the mining positions

• Did not provide bathrooms or changing facilities for women miners in a newly constructed facility

(“Mach Mining Sued By EEOC For Sex Discrimination,” 2013)

Sued for Sex Discrimation• Refused to hire women for a wide

variety of positions despite some applicants’ superior qualifications

• Since at least 2008, only employed one woman in any position out of approximately 800 employees

• Employed not one woman out of some 1,300 hires made between 2008-2010

(“Mavis Discount Tire Sued by EEOC for Sex Discrimination in Hiring,” 2012)

Sued for Sex Discrimination• Has not hired women to work at their drilling

operations since at least 2008

• One female job applicant told by a hiring official that he would "never hire a girl" because male employees would pay attention to a woman on the job to the detriment of their work

• One female applicant told by company officials that they could not hire her because Unit did not have housing facilities for women in its company-provided housing known as a "mancamp," even though male employees were not required to live at the "mancamp"

(“Unit Corporation Sued by EEOC for Refusing to Hire Women,” 2012)

Horizontal Segregation• Senior leaders’ influence on the talent management process can yield new senior

leaders who mirror the traits and biases of the senior leadership team that promoted them—a vicious cycle.

• Gender bias in tools and procedures can inhibit the establishment of inclusive and effective talent management programs.

• When organizations fail to integrate checks and balances that guard against the introduction of gender bias into talent management systems, they make the process vulnerable to gender stereotyping and hinder opportunities for women’s advancement.

(Warren, 2009)

Sexual Harassment• 80,680 charges of sexual harassment in 1997

• 95% of large employers in the U.S. had harassment grievance policies by 1998

• 70% of U.S. companies provided training related to sexual harassment

• 99,947 charges of sexual harassment in 2011.

(EEOC, 2013)

Costs of Sexual Harassment

• Increased sick leave and time away from work• Decreased individual productivity by victims • Lost productivity by workgroups in which

harassment occurs• Job turnover, including job transfers, being fired,

and quitting• Stress, depression, and other emotional and

physical consequences, including alcohol-related, sleep-related, and weight-related problems

Objectification of Women

"I could lie to you and say [our readers] are interested in their brains as well, but on the whole, we're not. They're there to be beautiful objects. They're objectified. There are certain times when we just want to look at them cause they're sexy. One of the things men like is pictures of pretty girls. So we provide them with pictures of pretty girls. And those pretty girls, for that purpose, they are ornamental. We also provide them with pictures of cool cars, or whatever. It's a thing that you might want to look at.“

Esquire editor, Alex Bilmes

Abuse of Women

Unrealistic and Unhealthy Images of Women

“20 million women suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their lives.”

(National Eating Disorders Association, 2013)

Be WISE Camp and GEMS

Tech Trek and Tech Savvy

Campus Leadership Programs

NCCWSL Campus Action Projects

National Student Advisory Council

Elect Her

$tart $mart

AAUW Conference Call

Learn About Leadership Programs for College Women

Monday, August 19, 7:30 p.m.

RSVP at http://www.aauw.org/event/2013/08/conference-call-leadership-programs-for-college-women/

Public Policy Issues

• Reproductive rights • Pay equity• STEM education• Title IX• Sexual harassment• LGBT issues• Health care • Retirement security