Cover Ageism is holding women back at every stage of their careers, according to a Harvard Business Review survey (Photo: Getty Images)
Ageism is holding women back at every stage of their careers, according to a Harvard Business Review survey (Photo: Getty Images)
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A Harvard survey reveals that “there was always an age-based excuse to not take women seriously, to discount their opinions, or to not hire or promote them”
A survey conducted by Harvard Business Review with 913 American women working in four different sectors—law, faith-based non-profit organisations, higher education and healthcare—revealed that a large number of women professionals have already experienced age-related prejudice and discrimination in the workplace, especially when applying for positions of responsibility.
These demeaning experiences result in women feeling discouraged and, above all, act as obstacles to them pursuing further advancement.
The problem lies in our attitude to ageing. Ageism, which can be as insidious as racism or sexism, can affect individuals at different ages and the consequences aren’t insignificant.In fact, individuals, particularly women, can be victims of ageism at any stage in their working life.
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Like their older female colleagues, young female employees can fall victim to age-related prejudice and stereotypes.
They are seen as unsuitable for holding senior positions due to “inexperience,” an underestimation of their skills, and a supposed lack of maturity.
This type of stigmatisation may take the form, for example, of pseudo-affectionate nicknames such as “miss”, or hostile comments about a supposed specificity of the younger generation on the job market, such as “young people don’t want to work”.
Although not necessarily intended to be discriminatory or cause grief, these remarks can constitute a wave of micro-aggressions which, in the long run, end up giving young recruits the feeling that they are not fully accepted and respected by their colleagues.
6.3 million cases of depression linked to ageism
Conversely, more experienced professionals are refused promotions or more responsible positions because of their alleged lack of availability for the company, or because of clichés about ageing (for instance, related to menopause). Women of childbearing age are often sidelined because of their family responsibilities, while those over 40 are seen as lacking in fresh ideas or energy and vitality.
Their skills are often neglected or considered obsolete, given recent technological developments. As a result, these workers experience feelings of dejection and being ignored by the professional sphere because of their age.
This survey shows that ageism, specifically what the publication terms “gendered ageism”, can hinder women’s progress at any stage of their careers. “There was always an age-based excuse to not take women seriously, to discount their opinions, or to not hire or promote them,” reads the Harvard Business Review article reporting on the survey’s findings.
The publication outlines that it is essential to take concrete steps to recognise and value the contribution of women in business—whatever their age—and to ensure that ageism does not have lasting damaging effects on the careers and health of female employees.
Because this kind of marginalisation has serious and far-reaching consequences for victims. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 6.3 million cases of depression worldwide are due to ageism.
“Ageism towards younger and older people is prevalent, unrecognised, unchallenged and has far-reaching consequences for our economies and societies,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the WHO’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in a statement, on the occasion of the publication of a report on the subject in 2021.
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