Young girls are raised to believe they are equal and can pursue any career they wish. However, when they hit work their views of equality and opportunity dramatically change. New survey results published by International Plan Canada (IPC) and Nanos Research reveal that there is a huge drop from late teens (14 to 17 years) to early adulthood (18 to 24 years) in the number of Canadian women who feel equal to men, who feel they have the same opportunities to lead as men and who feel their ideas are taken seriously. Here are the numbers.

• Feel equal to their male counterparts – 66 per cent of girls compared to 44 per cent of young women
• Believe they have the same opportunity to lead as men – 60 per cent of girls compared to 38 per cent of young women
• Believe their ideas are taken as seriously – 64 per cent of girls compared to 43 per cent of young women
• Have felt pressure to change their behaviour because of their gender – 72 per cent of young women

Despite how depressing and disappointing these results appear, to me there is a huge silver lining. It means that young women are clearly seeing how the workplace operates; how gender dynamics still impact women negatively – especially those who were raised on the myth of meritocracy. It means those girls who have done brilliantly at school are noticing that as they work hard in their offices, do great work and don’t make a fuss, their less diligent and talented male counterparts are getting promoted.

Until we understand what is happening and why, it won’t change. And let me be clear. The responsibility is not on women to change the workplace to ensure fairness and gender equality. The responsibility is everyone’s – men and women. However, while we wait for societal and organization changes, women need to know what is happening so they can advance and succeed at work.

ON NOT FEELING EQUAL TO MALE COUNTERPARTS

Young men and women are not equal in their knowledge of the behaviour that is favoured and rewarded in the workplace. Since most leaders at work are men, the operating code is based on the gender rules boys learn. Young women, who do brilliantly at school where the rules for success are clear, are totally unaware that at work the rules shift to favour men. The result is that young women are at a distinct disadvantage. They don’t feel equal because they are operating blind. Once they know that asking is OK and how to make their value visible, they regain their footing at work. I see it time and time again.

ON NOT HAVING EQUAL LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Young women, in fact women generally, don’t have the same opportunities to lead as men at work. Look no further than the statistics on the leadership gap. The unconscious stereotype for leadership continues to be masculine, which hinders women from attaining leadership positions and makes it harder for them to be perceived as effective leaders. To tell women they don’t face bias to become leaders or be leaders, is to deny the facts. Young women are seeing this clearly.

To counter this, young women need to see women leaders around them – in images and in their organizations. They need to know that the most effective leadership styles involve feminine approaches. Coaching, cited by Google as one of six leadership traits, is a feminine approach. Command and control, a masculine style, is the least effective. They need to know that they have the skills for leadership.

Leaders in organizations can use a variety of leadership styles to help disrupt the stereotype of masculine leadership and hunt for hidden women leaders who may have been overlooked due to bias and stereotypes. They can set clear numerical goals for the number of women leaders while championing and supporting women leaders.

ON NOT HAVING THEIR IDEAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY

In the book That’s What She Said there is a chapter entitled “She’s Pretty Sure You Don’t Respect Her”. Research shows that women don’t get as much respect as men, and this is shown in whose ideas are taken seriously and whose are not. There are other barriers that prevent women’s ideas from being taken seriously, including having ideas stolen and being interrupted.

Leaders need to be aware of this gender bias since women who feel their ideas are not being taken seriously will not speak up. This reduces diversity of thought and ideas. Women and their allies need to stand firm to expose those who discount women’s ideas or steal them. They need to amplify the ideas of those who are not taken seriously and support them in the meetings. But at the heart of it, men need to become respectful of women, and that requires inclusive leadership.

ON FEELING PRESSURE TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OF GENDER

Although it is not clear from these results which gender behaviours are involved, it is not surprising that feminine approaches at work would be targeted. Since the behaviour rewarded at work is masculine, feminine approaches would be discounted and discouraged. This despite the fact that feminine approaches are “best practice” in many key career skills, including negotiation and leadership.

Until we all become more gender balanced and aware of our gender blind spots, young women will continue to feel unequal at work. Let’s work together to make gender bias and outdated gender stereotypes a thing of the past. I am hoping that someday I will be asked, “what do you mean by feminine and masculine behavior?”. Then I will know that gender is no longer a thing.