It doesn’t matter if a woman is young or old or somewhere in between—any age can be viewed as the wrong one for women leaders, write three researchers in a new article in Harvard Business Review. This kind of “double-whammy” age-gender bias holds women back from promotions and, consequently, leadership roles.
The piece, titled “Women in leadership face ageism at every age,” is part of a larger study — a qualitative survey of U.S. women leaders across four industries—that found that across a range of traits women are often viewed as “never quite right. “They were too short or too tall, too pretty or too unattractive or too heavy. They had too much education or not enough…,” the researchers wrote in a separate article for Fast Company. Women lost out on leadership roles because they were “single, married, or divorced.”
“There was no personality trait sweet spot, as introverted women were not seen as leaders and extraverted [sic] women were viewed as aggressive.” Age was one of the biggest issues for women—across generations. Under age 40, women were patronized—patted on the head, called “kiddo,” the researchers found. They also face a “credibility deficit,” where they’re not believed or taken seriously.
Between ages 40 – 60 some women are judged to have too many family responsibilities, or were passed over for promotions because of “menopause concerns,” or because they “don’t look vital.” Past 60, women are seen as outdated, their voices discounted and ignored. “First, we are too young to be responsible or to supervise,” one lawyer told the researchers. “This lasts into our mid-to late-thirties but does not for men. Then in an instant, we are too old to be hired for anything or anywhere new.”
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