The term micro-inequities was coined by Mary Rowe, economist and MIT professor, as shorthand for:
Ways in which individuals are singled out, overlooked, ignored, or otherwise discounted based on an unchangeable characteristic such as race or gender.
I call them gender bias paper cuts when they pertain to women.
In 1973 Rowe was asked by MIT’s President and Chancellor to learn how the university could improve its workplace with respect to minorities. As expected, Rowe discovered some big issues. To her surprise, she also discovered the substantive affect of seemingly “little issues” that, over time, corroded professional confidence, sense of belonging, and more. Among these small acts Rowe included:
- Expecting that the woman in the room is serving the coffee
- “Please bring your wife” posted on holiday party announcements
- Not being introduced at chance encounters among colleagues
Times have changed such that these specific micro-inequities, or paper cuts, occur less frequently. But gender bias paper cuts still happen. Unfortunately, when they do, most of us aren’t prepared to respond. We should be. To this end, I designed and lead workshops on how to address gender bias paper cuts.
To reach a broader audience, stories and tips from the workshop are included in this and the following post.
Sarah’s Gender Bias Paper Cut
In fairness to its survivor, this paper cut was really a knife wound. Sarah C., not her real name, is an accomplished physician. (Her sub-specialty, current position and other credentials are withheld for anonymity.) Sarah was among the first three physicians in her field, world wide, to perform a ground breaking and very complex procedure. Sarah, as they say, is no slouch. In 2015, Sarah spoke at an international conference of her peers. A respected elder physician introduced her, as follows:
I haven’t read Dr. C’s bio, so I can’t tell you about her background, but I think you’ll find she’s quite pleasant to look at.
Imagine walking to the podium following THAT introduction!
Horrified and shocked, Sarah couldn’t come up with a response, especially given the setting, the audience, and the stature (HA!) of the physician who ?introduced? her. Complicating matters further, Sarah had her sites on becoming the department chair, and the elder physician would be on the review committee. She was further humiliated and deeply disappointed that none of her peers spoke up for her. Later, when she recovered from the shock, many responses came to mind, but she questioned being labeled “bitch” if she had used them.
Lesser Cuts
Most gender bias paper cuts are less severe.
Following a day long retreat the men pile into a limo and head for the local Cigar Bar. The two women attendees are literally left standing in the cold.
Male cohorts in Harvard’s MBA program expect women to take notes for group projects.
A manager announces that the meeting will “continue in the sauna” at the end of a day long retreat. The lone female executive in the group is aware that there are separate saunas for men and women. The men hadn’t noticed. She’s on her own to raise the issue. She is inadvertently left out and singled out, with a potentially negative and embarrassing spotlight overhead.
Sandra and Bob, her manager, are meeting with a new vendor. Sandra is in charge of the project, but the vendor never makes eye contact with her. He speaks only and directly to Bob.
4 Band-aids for Addressing Gender Bias Paper Cuts
- Find supporters, raise awareness and ask for help before the cuts occur
- Read the context
- Determine the outcomes you want to achieve
- Take the high road but not on a high horse
Next week’s post provides real life stories for applying these band-aids and preventing future cuts.