




Here’s why sex discrimination at work doesn’t go away until women are in charge | Torsten Bell | The Guardian


























































































Skip to main contentSkip to navigationClose dialogue1/1Next imagePrevious imageToggle captionSkip to navigationPrint subscriptionsNewsletters Sign inUSUS editionUK editionAustralia editionEurope editionInternational editionThe Guardian - Back to homeThe GuardianNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShow moreHide expanded menuNewsView all NewsUS newsUS politicsWorld newsClimate crisisMiddle EastUkraineSoccerBusinessEnvironmentTechScienceNewslettersWellnessOpinionView all OpinionThe Guardian viewColumnistsLettersOpinion videosCartoonsSportView all SportSoccerNFLTennisMLBMLSNBAWNBANHLF1GolfCultureView all CultureFilmBooksMusicArt & designTV & radioStageClassicalGamesLifestyleView all LifestyleWellnessFashionFoodRecipesLove & sexHome & gardenHealth & fitnessFamilyTravelMoneySearch input google-search SearchSupport usPrint subscriptionsNewslettersDownload the appSearch jobsDigital ArchiveGuardian LicensingAbout UsThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsWordiplyCorrectionsSearch input google-search SearchSearch jobsDigital ArchiveGuardian LicensingAbout UsThe Guardian viewColumnistsLettersOpinion videosCartoons Women in mixed teams are less likely to be rated as influential – by other women as well as men. Photograph: Mariusz Szczawinski/AlamyView image in fullscreenWomen in mixed teams are less likely to be rated as influential – by other women as well as men. Photograph: Mariusz Szczawinski/AlamyThe ObserverWomen This article is more than 3 months oldHere’s why sex discrimination at work doesn’t go away until women are in chargeThis article is more than 3 months oldTorsten BellNew research reveals men pay little heed to women in mixed-sex teamsSat 19 Oct 2024 12.00 EDTLast modified on Sat 19 Oct 2024 13.38 EDTShareSingle-sex teams are something for the football pitch, not the workplace. It’s not the 1950s. Many studies show the benefits of mixed teams: among scientists, for example, they produce more impactful research.But does it matter how mixed they are? Yes, for the women in them, concludes fascinating American research. In a couple of experiments, undergraduates were randomly assigned to small (five or six people) male- or female-majority teams, who then worked together for a period as part of their studies.The researchers tested if gender balance affected the perceived and actual influence of men and women – via surveys of the students.The result? Male-majority teams don’t pay much attention to women. Not only are women in those teams less likely to be rated as influential (by other women as well as men), they are less influential (women in male-majority groups were less likely to shift the group view towards their own).Men in female-majority teams were four times more likely to be appointed as a spokesperson than women in male-majority teams (37% v 9%). The authors highlighted the risks of token efforts, such as adding one women to a board dominated by men.What about group leadership? Well, in one experiment a male or female team leader was appointed, with big effects: “Assigning a female leader reduces the rate at which individual teammates discriminate against women by more than 50%.”This may, or may not, be an argument for the Conservative party (in which seven in 10 members and three in four MPs are male) electing Kemi Badenoch. Thankfully, I don’t have a vote. Torsten Bell is Labour MP for Swansea West and author of Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Backskip past newsletter promotionSign up to ObservedFree weekly newsletterAnalysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers Enter your email address Sign upPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion

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