“Any age can be viewed as ‘the wrong age’ for a woman, allowing her capacity to be questioned and her fitness for leadership challenged.”
The above are the findings of a recently-conducted research studying the never-right age bias, where irrespective of their age, women face discrimination. The research discussed in Harvard Business Review says, ‘gendered ageism sits at the intersection of age and gender bias and is a double whammy where there is “no right age” for professional women.’
The study comprised an open-ended survey of 913 women leaders from four United States industries (higher education, nonprofits, law, and health care).
Not valued
The research noted that as women aged, they felt they were undervalued, when compared to their male counterparts. The report cited examples of women who were left out of promotions as men in the same age group were preferred. As a result, many women felt discouraged, burnt out, and resigned to not advancing any further.
Gendered youngism
From being mistaken as juniors to being called pet names like ‘kiddo’, younger women holding higher posts reported experiencing credibility deficit or the lack of trust and belief in the women’s statements and expertise.
Middle age is no better
The 40s may have been known as the sweet spot, yet for women in this age group, the gendered ageism is no less, and they are left out of the race, citing family responsibilities and menopause.
The study indicates that any age can be stigmatized by supervisors and colleagues to claim that the woman is not valued or is not fit for a leadership role.
The research suggests ways for organizations to overcome bias:
- Recognize biases
- Address lookism
- Focus on skills
- Encourage creative collaborations
