Engineering sector ranked third most sexist - survey

Drawing on a survey of over 2,000 women, the Workplace Health Gap Report ranks industry sectors based on real experiences of women feeling patronised, discriminated or held back in their careers due to gender bias or female health needs. 

According to the survey, IT & Telecoms ranks as the most sexist sector in the UK. Women in this industry report the highest levels of appearance-based scrutiny (57 per cent), the greatest pressure to overperform due to their gender (55 per cent), and the highest incidence of needing to downplay femininity to be taken seriously (63 per cent). Additionally, over half (53 per cent) say they’ve experienced microaggressions, while one in five (20 per cent) feel gender bias has negatively impacted their career progression.

MORE FROM SKILLS & CAREERS

Despite being a traditionally female-dominated field, HR follows closely behind, topping the list for the highest percentage of women who have been spoken over by a male colleague (86 per cent). It also sees 44 per cent experiencing appearance-based scrutiny and 53 per cent feeling pressure to suppress their femininity at work. Nearly half (47 per cent) report insufficient support for their health and well-being in the workplace.