AuDN4T

Why is it that we talk about women coming so far in the workforce but yet we really haven’t. Are women truly treated the same as their male counterparts? When you see a female CFO with 8 years experience in a company have less perks than a male Finance Director – like a car and commuting to work by an Uber. How is this equitable?

Women in general are treated less than by males or are mansplained to.

Interestingly, or sadly, 42-44% of women experience harassment in the workplace in Canada and the US. Furthermore, 58% women with disabilities and 91% of women in trades report harassment in the workplace. We push women to go into construction but cannot treat them in a respectful manner. Organizations can’t even provide the basics like toilet paper and soap in washrooms. Friends refuse to use washroom facilities at construction sites. They go to the nearest coffee shop. We’re spoken to like children and questioned if we truly know what we are doing. I’ve even had my childhood friend, an architect, mention that there is discrimination in the architecture field. Women are more likely to be pigeon holed into office work rather than site supervision or project management, giving them less diversification of project exposure and are less likely to get their architecture licenses.

The gender pay gap also remains – Women make 85-88¢ for every $1, and this much significant for Women of Colour – 74-78¢ for every $1.

Women in C-Suite roles remain typically below 40%. Though I’ve seen as low as 30% in Canada and much less in the US.

Looks like there is a much higher rate of burnout amongst Senior Level women vs men – 60% vs 50%.

You try to state this and people (typically men) still try to refute this by saying it’s illegal and how can it be that women are treated less or paid less? We may have things written on paper, but is it actualized or is it still a theory and employers aren’t truly supporting women?

I remember seeing a pay stub of a male who did a role after a female was moved from that role. From my understanding, this individual did make more than the female. This male’s experience was not as the high standard the female had implemented. While their manager demoted the female and attempted to further reduce her pay. If this isn’t sexism, I’m not sure what is. I really didn’t want to speak to anyone about this because the information provided is confidential and puts me into a difficult place. However, these are simple facts of the reality of this department and organization. Men will attempt to suppress females who have the potential to do great things.