Harassment and Hostile Work Environments

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Harassment and a hostile work environment are extreme but prevalent ways gender biases manifest in the tech industry. Women facing such challenges may feel compelled to leave their jobs or the industry entirely, significantly impacting their career development and exacerbating the gender gap in tech.

Harassment and a hostile work environment are extreme but prevalent ways gender biases manifest in the tech industry. Women facing such challenges may feel compelled to leave their jobs or the industry entirely, significantly impacting their career development and exacerbating the gender gap in tech.

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Chinazor Vivian Kalu
Senior Programme Manager at Niyo Group
Sat, 04/27/2024 - 08:26

Abused or Misused at Workplace as a Woman?

In my career journey, I always wanted to shine, I never want to do the barest minimum. I always go to work with the mindset of, if this were my own business, it made me do things because they need to be done and not just to complete my job description, it made me work from a commercial awareness perspective. But I was abused and misused. Could it because I was a woman? My Bosses could leave a huge project and rest assured that they will have result from planning to execution and monitoring, they won’t fret over SLAs because they are convinced I will manage all relevant stakeholders and generate revenue. I was left often unsupervised, they didn’t bother about my projects often, I was saddled with loads of responsibilities with no recognition or compensation. At the opportunity of any salary increase or promotion, they present it as though they’re doing me a favour. But I can prove with undeniable evidence how my work contributes significantly to the bottom line. I rose to the occasion, I wasn’t involved in office politics, I dared to be different, I dared to emerge on global scenes, making an impact in any capacity, did I succeed? I will leave you to assess it and give me feedback.

Are you abused or misused at work as a woman? Does it make you unfulfilled or unable to get ahead to the next level of your career? Do you feel excluded or out of place? What you may just need is to create a space for yourself. Not theory nor feeble, I’ve been there and I can tell you practical ways to get ahead and feel included. Or, this may not even be existent, it may just be a feeling, you may want to talk it over.

Abuse in the workplace in this context is referred to as “overloading” or “exploitation.” is any behavior or action that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment based on gender, leading to emotional distress, professional setbacks, and a diminished sense of safety and well-being. As a woman, it can take many forms, including sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, verbal or physical aggression, unequal pay or opportunities, and micro-aggressions.

Misuse often referred to as “Micromanagement” in the workplace as a woman refers to any form of exploitation, manipulation, or unfair treatment based on gender. This can include being assigned menial tasks, denied opportunities for advancement, overlooked for promotions or raises, subjected to unwelcome advances or comments, or having your ideas dismissed or stolen. It undermines your professional capabilities and contributes to a toxic work environment.

Either ways, as a woman facing any, either or all, create a room for yourself to shine. Envision that next level you desire, create it within your role and resume executing it as part of your role. Don’t just focus on your job description. A practical example:

You are hired as an Office Administrator, but your goal is to be a seasoned Project Manager (PM). You have taken some PM courses and are applying for PM roles. Don’t just do the bare minimum in your current role as an Office Admin, create your own PM job description within your role and start project managing all of your task, apply every PM principles at your disposal, offer to help colleagues Project Manage their roles. Gradually build yourself and your thought leadership and wait for the next big opportunity. I understand that organisations will rather fill open roles with existing good staff than hiring a new staff externally. And this opportunity is eminent for you.

Let me know other ways women can create opportunities for themselves and rise regardless of being abused or misused.

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