Nearly half of the women interviewed for a survey say they have already received emails with inappropriate content or which question, in a more or less subtle way, their legitimacy.
“Due to your gender, have you ever felt that your skills were being questioned?” Sexism appeared for the first time in the questionnaire from Flashs, a survey and statistics organization, which published on Thursday, November 14, an analysis of the uses of professional emails among 2,000 employees and managers, half of whom were women. Some 46% of women surveyed answered yes, and even more among women leaders. “We expected these answers, but not that this represents nearly one in two women”comments Léa Paolacci, research manager at Flashs.
By questioning them further, the women evoke another form of sexism. Three out of ten of them say they receive “inappropriate” emails. For those aged 18 to 24, the proportion rises to one in two (50%). Among the emails deemed inappropriate, 19% of them contain sexually explicit content. Otherwise, “the majority of these are requests for personal or intimate information or proposals for meetings outside of work”details Léa Paolacci, for whom these are so many “microaggressions.
Jeanne, almost 30 years old, had a bad experience via emails during a summer fixed-term contract in a Parisian company. One of her colleagues, much older than her, started to make some jokes with her face-to-face. Then she received “oppressive emails” from him. He systematically responded to her in private when she sent an email to several recipients of which he was one. He also sent messages on WhatsApp and SMS, to which Jeanne did not respond either. At the end of his contract, he told him that“He was going to miss her.”. He continued to write to her even when his contract ended and eventually stopped, much to Jeanne's relief.
“They’re easy targets.”
Agathe Peigney, co-founder of Balance ton internshipat franceinfo
This figure of one in two young women having already received an inappropriate email, like Jeanne, “don't be surprised” Agathe Peigney, co-founder of the Balance ton internship association, created to denounce situations of sexism during company internships. “Sexism in business particularly affects young womenshe emphasizes, because they are often there for a short time, have a hierarchical relationship and may be afraid of not validating their internship or their diploma.”
This hypervisibility of young women is explained differently for Sabrina Tanquerel, professor of human resources management at EM Normandie, who works on the subject of sexism at work. “Young women are much more aware of sexism in the workplace, particularly since the MeToo movement, she says. So, they are more inclined to talk about these subjects, to know how to identify them and to denounce them.
The emails are “one of the vehicles of sexism at work”, for Agathe Peigney, from Balance ton internship. “This indicates a certain ease, because the sender is hidden behind his professional emails and messaging. There is an instantaneous side which blurs the barriers between professional and private life,” she emphasizes, recalling that “sexism begins with gender stereotypes”. “Just with the tone used, we can feel a form of sexism, explains Agathe Peigney. Typically, sending an email starting with 'My little darling', using pet names, writing 'you're the only woman so…', questioning the legitimacy of a woman…”
“Sexism is everywhere in society and obviously at work where it has multiple manifestations, orally and in writing, but also in looks or in an atmosphere.”
Agathe Peigney, co-founder of Balance ton internshipat franceinfo
Among the hundreds of testimonials received by Balance ton internship, since the creation of the association four years ago, “the emails were only mentioned two or three times, nuance Agathe Peigney. But they can be coupled with other things: there is also the post-it stuck on the desk, or suggestions via the personal number to go for a drink, or to call outside working hours.”
The exchange of emails falls under the “'benevolent' sexism”, believes Sabrina Tanquerel, professor of human resources management at EM Normandie. “So-called benevolent sexism refers to all these strategies that we observe in companies on the delegitimization of women, on certain skills, sometimes invisibility, whether in technical fields occupied by women, but also as soon as they progress in the hierarchy of organizations These tactics manifest themselves from a behavioral point of view, but also obviously in writing, in informal exchanges between colleagues.
If sexist remarks sent by email or made orally “are at the bottom of the pyramid, they can be a breeding ground for sexist behavior which, if repeated, can become harassment”, recalls Agathe Peigney. It is therefore important to react if you receive an email of a sexist nature, because “Trivializing 'the less serious things' can make more serious things possible”alerts Agathe Peigney.
It lists the possible actions: “First, reframe the sender by email, with polite forms, to indicate that we do not want to go into this area, return to more professional territory, add people in copy , like the manager (if he himself is not involved). Report the facts and find out to whom it is possible: colleagues, HR, the referent in large companies, but also associations, the labor inspectorate, the rights defender.”
Agathe Peigney also advises “remember the law. The first remark of a sexist nature is considered sexist behavior, which is prohibited in the Labor Code. Emails are proof to report the facts, so they should not be deleted.” “Upstream, she continues, it is important to raise awareness that this is not normal.” This is also what she is working to do with her association Balance ton internship.
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