Should we be swapping our stilettos for sneakers?

Ellie Cornforth

To what extent are men and women treated differently in the wrokplace?

There’s no denying that men and women within the workplace encounter vastly different experiences in regards to how they are treated. Unfortunately, gender inequalities are still at play within the workforce, demonstrated by a survey conducted with 1,000 women, in which a measly 47% admitted to being treated equally to their male colleagues.

Whilst it is easy to pinpoint the more major inequalities women face at work, such as the gender pay gap, there are several other ways in which women are undermined, making them feel forced to mask their femininity.

A prominent example would be the actions which male employees seem to find appropriate, even in a professional setting. Imagine this - it’s an important meeting and all the men in the room were greeted with a handshake and nod. For some reason, it has been normalised to greet a woman who walks in with a kiss on the cheek, with a hand placed on the low of their back. Whilst arguably not inherently sexist, it’s yet another reason that causes women to feel objectified in the work environment, and let’s be honest; it’s unprofessional. Employers should be prepared to greet everyone in the same manner, because let me tell you, it was fairly degrading when I left one of my shifts at the bar to be met with a wink and a ‘see you later babe’, when the boys on shift had been shaken hands with.

Enter now the argument that women should disguise their femininity in order to be treated with more respect by their male counterparts. Less skin on show, more frumpy clothing and less makeup equals respect, right? Not entirely. Whilst I’m not advocating for rocking up to work in a leather mini skirt, fishnets and thighhigh boots, women should not feel coerced into dulling down their style in order to progress in their career.

Furthermore, the glass ceiling phenomena means that, even nowadays, women often reach a certain point in their career and struggle to make it any further. Often, the promotion ends up going to the middle-aged, white man, who shares the boss's love of golf. This could also be due to the fact that men are often threatened and intimidated by women in positions of authority and power, so find it easier to prevent them from reaching such positions at all. It’s vital that women keep striving to break through such barriers, as we have already come a long way. But as long as certain men remain in positions of power, with misogynistic mindsets, we still have a long way to go.

With attraction being so subjective, it’s no surprise that people differ on what they are attracted to, with some preferring some face shapes or hair colours to others. However, to only date that specific type I think would be ultimately limiting as by restricting yourself, you may be missing out on a number of people who could be right for you. Not to mention, people are also much more than just appearances. Each person has stories, experiences, passions, and dreams that blend and accumulate and often it is these traits that cement our attraction to humans. It’s watching someone talk excitedly about an interest or being kind and helpful to a stranger they’ve never met; it is these types of individual qualities that I think we should be acknowledging for attraction rather than just the physical attributes.