The number of young women experiencing discrimination at work has risen markedly over the past year, according to the Young Women’s Trust.
One of the most shocking findings of the charity’s 2023 annual survey – The Long Road to Change – was that one in seven HR executives believe men are more suited to senior management than women.
Younger managers were more likely than older colleagues to consider women less capable of senior roles, it found.
A fifth (19%) said they would be reluctant to hire a woman who they thought might go on to start a family.
The trust said the proportion of young women reporting that they had experienced some form of discrimination had increased from 42% in 2022 to 50% this year.
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More than a third of HR decision makers (34%) said they were aware of instances of women being discriminated against, it found, and 23% of young women said they were being paid less than their male peers for the same work.
Young women feel less able to challenge instances of discrimination when they do occur, with 25% saying this is the case compared to 17% of men.
Progression and job security was also a concern. Over a third (36%)of respondents said they were worried about losing their job, up slightly from last year (33%). Young women were also more likely to be on a zero-hours contract than young men, or in a minimum-wage role.
Women from ethnic minorities faced discrimination on multiple levels, it found, with 60% worried about how much their job paid (compared to an average of 55%) and 57% lacking opportunities to progress (compared to an average of 49%).
One young woman interviewed for the charity’s report said the experience of discrimination had left her feeling ill and being told she was ‘emotional’ or ‘dramatic’.
“My manager would make inappropriate comments based on my gender and my nationality. I was left off key documents on projects that I initiated and when asked to lead meetings, had management disrupt and take over,” she said.
“During meetings, I would get stomach aches and my chest was very heavy. For me, it felt very close to a panic attack. I would come home venting my frustrations to my partner and this negatively impacted our relationship.
“Eventually I felt I needed to see my GP since it was such a difficult time which lasted several months – I lost my confidence and started second-guessing myself. But I know it wasn’t me and when I finally raised my concerns with management, my team saw these issues too.”
Claire Reindorp, chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust, said its findings were evidence of “deep-rooted and widespread discrimination driving income inequality”.
“We know it’s hard for young women to get the jobs that they want because of barriers such as a lack of flexible working and affordable childcare, but then when they do enter the workplace, discrimination and a lack of support to progress creates this broken rung on the career ladder.
“It’s a travesty that in 2023 young women still aren’t being given the same chances in life as young men. There’s so much more that politicians and employers can do to make a difference and – and much of it is not that hard.
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“Let’s stop living in the dark ages and realise the true potential that young women can bring to society and our economy. We’ve got an entire workforce’s talents that could be unlocked.”
