Sexist senior management

[createsomemess]

Our team has been struggling with project management. In response, senior staff have brought in external consultants whose role seems primarily to pressure us without consequence for their behavior. If we raise concerns with HR, the consultants are dismissed, but senior staff remain unaccountable.

In one meeting, I spoke up and said that at times the issue lies in the way one of the consultants communicates with us. A senior manager responded by saying, “She’s a woman, what do you expect?” I was shocked to hear such a remark from leadership.

I left the meeting feeling confused, embarrassed, teary, and demotivated.

Tell that person's line manager. Even if it's the CEO. Presumably there were witnesses?

I would've said at the time 'what do you mean by that'. But it's too late now.

Do you have a formal grievance policy?

Report it. Nip it in the bud.
I had this at one workplace but it was a senior female manager saying it about men.
There was onee young guy in the office and she said exactly that - "he's a man, what do you expect?".
Not acceptable.

Sexism is rife in the service. We were in a room with my manager, head of department and head of service and all staff and no one said anything.

Easy to say, but your bet option is to leave and get a different job.

Chin up and report him.

Sexism towards women is systemic and institutionalised.

Why should she have to leave, she should stay, and fight the sexist culture at her work- thats how things will change.

Communication seems to be an issue across the board although I’m not sure how a consultant’s communication style is connected to your team’s inability to do project management.

If you have issues with the consultants, tackle it direct with the consultants and then senior staff if there is no change (why would HR get involved with consultants let alone dismiss them?)

As for the sexist comment, ideally you (everyone!) should have said something at the time but since it seems to be endemic and quite acceptable where you work, I’d start looking for another job before or after making a formal complaint about sexism.

Easy to say the OP "should" stay and fight, but not everyone is cut out for taking on the battle against sexism and patriarchy. Not every woman is a warrior.

I hugely admire the women who do take on these fights, on behalf of all women, but I would never say to any individual woman that she had any kind of duty to put up a fight instead of just walking away and getting on with her life in peace.

I guess so, you have a point there.

It's just sad though when women feel like they should leave the source of their livelihood and perhaps the job that supports their children because of sexist men. Why shouldn't the disgusting sexist men and any gross misogynistic women who may have joined in walk away instead? Why should she have to lose money, time and emotional and physical energy in having to find a new job, which could possibly be a lower salary in a crappier job possibly to allow the disgusting sexist man sit in comfort in his own job free to harrass many more women i'm sure in the future. It's not fair. And what if the same thing or worse happens in her next job, what then?

I've been in that position before at work a few times and always wish I fought harder and actually realised it was sexism at the time and also wish I fought against sexual harassment and racism which I could have fought against aswell in a couple of cases.

It's true noone should be forced to stay in a job and fight- would be good and character building to do so if safe but not everyone feels comfortable doing it. I'm in a position now where I'm fighting a huge amount of sexism and also racism at the same time as a woman of colour and yeh it's hard but good to show these assholes that i'm fighting against them and that I won't let them push me out of my nice house which I like so they can stay in their comfortable houses. I make them uncomfortable and they can walk on eggshells instead.

Mouth closed for eternity….