Men’s control of decision-making as a driver of workplace sexual harassment

Men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence as a driver of workplace sexual harassment

Gendered violence is an umbrella term referring to physical and non-physical violence that affects a person because of their gender, or disproportionately affects people of a particular gender. This violence can be physical, but it can also be sexual, mental, psychological, and/or economic.

Change the story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia highlights four key expressions of gender inequality which consistently predict higher rates of gendered violence:

• Condoning of gendered violence;
• Men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence;
• Rigid gender stereotyping; and
• Cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control.

In this blog series, we’re exploring the ways in which these gendered drivers of violence manifest in workplaces, predicting higher rates of sexual harassment – a common form of gendered violence which most often impacts women and gender-diverse people. In this article we’ll be looking at how men’s control of decision making and limits to women’s independence drives workplace sexual harassment.

What is it?

Limits or barriers to women and gender-diverse people’s independence and decision-making occurs publicly and privately. These limitations on choice and agency in interpersonal relationships, in the workforce, and politically have resulted in men’s control of decision-making.

Women and gender-diverse people are underrepresented in leadership positions and Government, while men have dominated these roles which have enabled them far greater decision-making power, and as a result, resources, policies and laws cannot effectively advance gender equality.

What does it look like?

• Men being perceived as more capable leaders, and men occupying most or all leadership positions, even in women-dominated workplaces.
• Workplaces not permitting flexible working arrangements such as work from home days or part-time roles, disproportionately impacting women primary carers.
• Men dominating speaking time during meetings or interrupting women and gender-diverse people more often.
• Men being more likely to be promoted, and women and gender-diverse people who are also marginalised due to factors like their sexuality, race, disability and age being least likely to be promoted.

How can challenging this driver prevent sexual harassment?

Addressing the gendered drivers of violence can help to prevent workplace sexual harassment and other forms of gendered violence. By promoting women and gender diverse people’s independence and decision-making and supporting women’s leadership, we can challenge the norms that enable and normalise men’s control (which leads to higher rates of workplace sexual harassment).

What can I do?

There are steps employers can take to encourage women’s leadership and inclusion. For example, organisational strategies like workplace gender quotas for leadership or increased mentoring and training opportunities for women and gender-diverse people can be a useful strategy to adopt.

There are also steps we can take as workers to become more informed about expressions of this driver in our workplaces. For example, we can choose to be conscious about giving opportunities to others to talk during meetings, we can acknowledge when we are credited for reiterating or reframing an idea that was introduced by someone else, and we can make sure to acknowledge the contributions and work of others.

Gender pay gaps are a systemic example of the impact of men’s control of decision-making. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency publishes gender pay gaps and gender composition of the workforce annually using employer census’. You might like to start off by using WGEA’s Data Explorer to review how your industry, or even your employer, scores when it comes to workplace equality.

Click here to read the first blog in our gendered drivers of violence blog series.

For more information on workplace sexual harassment, visit our Workplace Respect Project resource hub.