Three Surprising Signs You’re Still Silencing Your Female Employees

Learn how to identify and address subtle behaviors on your teams that may still be silencing female employees in your office or workplace. This guide covers three key women's issues and offers actionable solutions and happy employees...

Your Quick Guide To Empowering Your Female Employees In The Workplace

When you consider what percentage of the workforce is female, 1950 looks vastly different than how things are in our new millennium.

For some in 2024, the idea of silencing any woman in your workplace might be abhorrent. We’ve moved past that, and ongoing workplace equality is one of society's priorities. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, your organization may be still silencing female voices in subtle ways. 

It takes generations to undo commercial and societal structures that are ingrained in our lifestyles. Even standard office temperatures are dictated to by male-centric studies. Additionally, women have spent so long feeling undermined in the workplace, that many won’t speak out about ongoing inequalities for fear of losing their jobs. 

Still, some gestures and guidelines are inadvertent, but impactful. Here are three surprising signs you're still silencing your female employees.

1. Only Speaking With Women About 'Women's' Issues

Information is key, and talking openly about female workplace issues in your office meetings or training programs is a positive thing. But, remember this is information your whole office teams need to hear, not just the women you have onboard.

Consider it: If you only involve women to things like:

• Workplace harassment training
• Women in leadership talks
• Women in the workplace programs

Then you’re still setting your female workers apart. In turn, when they try to put their training into action, they are likely to still come up against the lack of understanding or ignorance that women have dealt with for years.

Avoid this by implementing office-wide training about perceived ‘women’s issues’ so everyone is educated on the same information Things like the risks women workers face, and the correct protocols to take in each instance.

Consider fairness: Include details on men in the workplace and related issues as well.

2. Maintaining 'Women's Health' Taboos

Matters pertaining to women’s workplace health, such as:

• Some cancers
• Time-of-the-month concerns
• Pregnancy issues

These are still very often considered an office taboo. Sure, you’ve started to provide equal pay, but women in your office might still be struggling in silence with debilitating menstrual cramps, product supply chain issues or balancing care and treatment with related rising costs.

Taboos around these problems are so deep that it’s also unlikely your female employees will feel brave enough to speak out. So, to truly stop maintaining those taboos, you need to be the one to initiate the conversation in some way. Something as simple as providing in-office period products via bathroom vending machines, or implementing more regular work breaks can decreaase barriers and give female employees far more confidence to speak out about these struggles. 

3. Continuing To Lean On Male Speakers

In meetings or at events, you might not think twice about leaning on the same few male speakers who have been leading things for years. However, for some male leaders it may be surprising how overpowering their male voices in one room might be. Even if female colleagues do feel brave enough to speak out, deep booming men may soon negate their points.

Bluntly, truly giving women a voice in your organization requires you to actively choose female speakers as appropriate representatives in everything:

• Meetings
• Presentations
• Company events
• Podcasts
• Written pieces

And beyond. 

Where is the voice of female employees in your business?

Women deserve a voice in your company. Studies even prove you should give it to them by avoiding these inadvertent mistakes.