7 things you need to know about working women in 2013

by  Nina Bahadur

woman-working-at-home

Some of us still believe that women aren’t tough enough for top jobs. Thirty-four percent of women, in fact.

Women might be “leaning in,” but there’s a long way to go before they are equal in the workplace.

So say the findings of the Elle magazine Power Survey 2013, conducted in a partnership with the Center for American Progress. Elle surveyed 1,200 working men and women aged 25-54 about their work habits, histories and aspirations.

Here are seven important things we learned:

1. Gender discrimination is still a very real issue — and not just when it comes to salary. Twenty-eight percent of women believe they have been discriminated against at work.

2. Half of us aren’t asking for raises — but it’s about the same for men. Fifty-three percent of women have never asked for a raise, compared to 48 percent of men. However, studies have shown than men are still far more likely to negotiate their salaries at the beginning of their careers than women.

3. Women feel like they are under greater scrutiny. Two-thirds of women think women are scrutinized more harshly than men in the workplace — and half of the men surveyed agreed.

4. Some of us still believe that women aren’t tough enough for top jobs.Thirty-four percent of women, in fact. Try telling Marissa Mayer, Hillary Clinton and Padamassee Warrior that they’re not “tough enough.” =

5. Thirty one percent of women think they would be paid more if they were male— and the numbers back them up. Recent data shows that around 97 percent of American women are in jobs that typically pay men more.

6. Women aren’t afraid to speak up in meetings. Over half of female respondents said they contributed in meetings “all the time” or ‘frequently.”

7. Old gender stereotypes still apply in the office. Working women were more likely than men to be called compassionate, polite and patient. Men were more likely to be called lazy and aggressive.

“The survey results indicate women are leaning in; it’s the lack of policy support that’s pushing them out,” Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress, said in a press release. “Women are striving for leadership, willing to take on new responsibilities. But they continually face hurdles.”

Robbie Myers, the Editor-in-Chief of Elle, told the Daily Beast that the survey also highlighted some interesting parallels between what both sexes are looking for in the workplace.

“There is more equity between men and women in what they say they want,” Myers said. “But both men and women feel women overall aren’t judged fairly in terms of our capabilities.”

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Read this article in Huffington post

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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