Have you personally ever experienced sexism?

Question

Try to be honest. No BS stories just to prove a point. And it has to be legit too. No silly reasons.

Answer 1

Yes.

I worked for two years at a jewelry store, managing and training other employees, did inventory and ordered stock, created displays. I also pulled in the top sales. I had previous management experience. One day the store owner hired a male salesperson with no management experience, and little experience overall. Within two days, he hired him as our "manager" (although he had no more additional duties than a salesperson), and paid him a higher wage than I. The slap in the face was when my boss asked me to train my new manager.

   When introducing the new employee to me, he pointed at him and said, "New manager. Strong man. Good", and shook his fist. Of course I have to mention that my boss was from Russia, and had old world values. Women to him were just supposed to clean, take care of children, and look nice. I know this, because he mentioned it to me several times over the years. *shrug*

            I tend to work in family operated businesses. The same casual atmosphere I enjoy working in, also opens me up to loose standards of employee treatment and equality.  

Answer 2

Yes, along with racism too unfortunately.

Answer 3

No, I have not experienced systematic sexism. I was sexually harassed twice, though, if that counts.

Answer 4

yes, it was an acceptable part of the culture that existed when I was young.  I experienced it when trying to sign a contract without my father's or husband's signature, apply for a job that wasn't listed on the "Jobs for Women" side, stop a boss from physically chasing me around his desk daily, get my own apartment, or purchase furnishings on time,  All were directly resulting from the sexist culture because I began working when 15 and still in high school and haven't stopped (except for a few years during first marriage because husband 'wouldn't let me' because my 'place' was in the home being mommy).

after divorce #1, was told during a job interview that even though I wouldn't get the job, he wanted to know if he could take me to dinner.  I also experienced racial discrimination, religious discrimination, social stigmatism, and lots of sexual harrassment.

Answer 5

I work in a very male-dominated field.  Once I applied for a job, and my qualifications and experience were really good.  I was turned down.  I later discovered the manager in charge of the hiring didn't believe women should be hired to do that job.

At another job interview I was asked how I planned to take care of my child if I was offered the job.  (Obviously that's none of their business - it's for the employee to organise.)  They made it clear they didn't want to employ a woman with children.

I lost an excellent female colleague once - she was the one discriminated against.  Her contracted ended and a new contract was advertised.  She applied, but didn't get the job.  Instead the job went to a man who had no appropriate qualifications, no relevant experience, and no portfolio.  Oh, and he was given a salary considerably higher than mine, even though I have all the qualifications, years of experience, and a good portfolio.

I was part of an interviewing committee once, and we interviewed three male candidates and one female candidate for the position.  The female candidate had more experience and better qualifications than any of the men.  She also gave the best interview performance.  During the interview one of my male colleagues told her she didn't have a loud enough voice to work in this field (a loud voice has never been one of the job pre-requisites!).  This man is well-known for saying women shouldn't work in this field.  The female candidate wasn't appointed; a man was appointed instead, despite my attempts to push for the best candidate, who in that case happened to be female.

I have been sexually harassed at work by two different men.  Obviously sexual harassment is sexism.

I could list a number of further examples, but I'd be here all day.  Suffice to say, sexism is real and it has a significant impact on people's lives.

Answer 6

I don't really know anyone who hasn't, unless they've grown up in a one-s*x only convent or something

They might not realize it though.

Answer 7

When the company I worked for downsized me, I had to get another job that paid about 45% of what the old one did. When I went to court to ask that my child support be reduced, the judge ruled in my favor. As soon as the ex heard the ruling, she walked over and took a swing at me. Though the judge and bailiff plainly saw it, they didn't say or do anything. When I told the judge that I'd like to press charges, she angrily told the bailiff to escort me out of her courtroom.  

Answer 8

Oh, gosh, yes, but I handled it without lawyers or threat of violence. I was being interviewed by a Chiropractor in the early 1980's who was looking for an assistant (I think that was the title). He liked me, wanted to hire me, but then the dude pulled out a pay scale chart and said aloud, "OK, you're female, married, no children ... so I'll pay you (blah, blah)." BOY! Did I hit the ceiling! He made it obvious that if I wasn't female he would have paid me more! I just politely said, "No thanks, don't call us, we'll call you" and walked out. He's lucky I didn't sue him right then but I controlled my Irish temperament that day.

I have many others but they're too lengthy to list here. ♥ ∞

Answer 9

Yes, I have been passed over for job promotions that went to what I knew were less qualified men.

Answer 10

I'm 50 so I was in school before Title IX:

-Girls had to take home ec and boys had to take shop.

-Boys were hit in school, girls were not (I hate hitting!)

-Boys could participate in track, baseball, wrestling, basketball, tennis, golf; girls could take track and softball. In high school, my school finally gave girls the chance to try out for basketball, instead of just cheerleading at the games (because of title ix).

This was in the 1970's and 1980's:

-When job hunting, jobs were separated by gender in the want ads. Women could only apply for female jobs, men could only apply for male jobs. Guess which jobs paid dismally?

-I was told in college that I couldn't apply for a management job at a fast food joint I had worked at for quite a while as only boys could be managers. I was in college and the majority of the boys were in high school. It wasn't exactly rocket science. The manager told me "that's just the way it is". I had no idea that I could have complained to a soul about it, as it was common practice to treat women like this.

-In college, one of my professors cornered me in his lab and said I had to sleep with him or I wouldn't get a good grade in his class. I told him if I didn't get a good grade in his class (I was an A student) I was going to talk with his Dean. We didn't speak again. But I wasn't the first or last female student he sexually harassed. But in those days, no one cared. Female students just whispered about the creeps who preyed on their students.

At the workplace, in the 1980's-1990's:

-At my first computer programming job, one of the male managers had sexually harassed my female boss, and started sexually harassing me. After I complained to her, she complained to the IT Director, who told the guy to act nice, and the guy continued to sexually harass me. I got sick of it, and instead of quitting like many other women often did, I told the guy that I'd call his wife and his minister and tell them every nasty sexual thing he had said to me. He never spoke to me again. But he did continue to sexually harass women, with higher management's blessing. I had no idea I could complain to a government agency or sue, sexual harassment was so commonplace.

-I later worked as a computer programming consultant and I saw women being sexually harassed by managers at quite a few of the Fortune 500 companies I worked at.If I knew the women at all I would talk to them and discuss what we could do about it. I also saw a man sexually harassed by a female manager as well. Corporate America is such a nice place to work, ugh.

-I now work at a community college and I personally have not experienced sexism, but have been ostracised by part of my department after they found out I was g*y (I really didn't care, but if it made them feel better, I was all for being able to ignore them as well). Since I didn't tell many people about it at my workplace, rumor has it that some naughty folks in HR discussed some of the personal details I provided when I filled out my benefit forms. btw: In my state, it's legal to fire someone for being g*y or L*****n or bisexual and it's a-ok to demote them or refuse to hire them.

-Also at my community college, a number of young women who were secretaries admitted after the President left that some of the management sexually harassed them, had done it for years, and the President had done nothing about it. The new President fired the sexually harassing managers as soon as he got on board. So much for fear of lawsuits and the EEOC.

The workplace is much better now than in the 1970's when guys had naked pictures of women hanging up in their offices, but some men still sexually harass women, especially managers. It just takes one creepy guy to drive out tons of qualified women who don't want to put up with it, and laws and lawsuits still don't matter to many companies -big or small.

Answer 11

Yes.  When I graduated college (years ago) most graduate school placements were reserved for males (even in the CRNA programs where the majority of applicants were female).   I was denied a spot and many males with lower GPA's and test scores were admitted.    

Answer 12

I won a free 2 year college Government grant via a test.  Though I scored the highest, they gave my free 2 year  college scholarship to a woman because "this grant is mostly for women & minorities."  It was all hushed up.  

Yes many times at work.  One female supervisor trained a female employee but not me.  She told me "you can learn this yourself."  Another job I was the only man in an office environment.  I was harrassed, given the cold shoulder and treated unfairly because as they told me "you are a man."

In another job a woman demanded to be put in my office because I was winning awards at a prestigious company.  She was having s*x with 3 men in the company and she outright stole my work (it was in her desk drawers.)  

All the men were treated harshly except her.  She was treated with kid gloves.  She had teflon when I complained.  I never won another award with her in my office and I got another job.

Edit:  In the divorce court and outside, my ex was allowed to do almost anything.  False charges, hit me, yell at me, commit perjury (and she got caught 3xs but was never prosecuted) etc.  

Once in court, she physically and verbally threatened my female lawyer.  The judge had her removed but no charges were pressed.