Whether deliberate or unconscious, gender bias in the workplace makes it difficult for women to progress within their careers and feel safe and valued at work. For many women working within Australia's male-dominated industries, such as manufacturing, agriculture and warehousing, it can be particularly challenging to speak up about their experiences as the minority. 

This International Women's Day, the theme #BreaktheBias asks everyone to actively call out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping each time you see it, in order to collectively improve women's equality. 

In the workplace, employees may find it intimidating to speak up if they see bias occurring, so we're sharing some tips on how to identify such behaviour and what you can do to create a fairer and more equal workplace. 

What does gender bias look like? 

Gender bias can occur in various forms. Some, like blatant discrimination is easy to identify, but things like stereotyping, "everyday sexism" and micro-aggressions can often be more difficult to recognise. In fact, 73 percent of women experience bias at work—yet less than a third of employees are able to identify it when they see it. 

During your career, you may encounter workplaces where gender bias is so deeply rooted within the culture that it's simply accepted as the norm and never called out or recognised. As an employee however, you have the legal responsibility to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others, not just your own. 

Check your own gender biases 

It is important then to look at your own behaviour and attitudes at work: do you diminish the ability of your female colleagues? Do you treat everyone equally and with the same respect regardless of their gender? Have you ever made a comment or "joke" about a female at work that may have made her feel uncomfortable or marginalised? 

Being able to identify biased behaviour and attitudes within yourself as well as your colleagues will be the first step in creating a more equal workplace. 

Understand you privilege 

In order to practice good allyship at work, it's important to understand your own privilege and positional power at work. Privilege is defined as the "unearned advantage we get from being part of a dominant group whose needs have traditionally been prioritised." 

Being able to recognise how your experiences at work differ significantly from those of colleagues in a minority will not only help you practice empathy, but also make you more aware of the biases and inequalities that need to be addressed. 

If we can't recognise how privilege helps certain groups of people succeed at work, then we might assume that these people have just worked harder for their success. But this isn't necessarily the case. For example, in Australia 67.5% of men hold key management roles, compared to only 32.5% of women. This isn't necessarily because the males are more qualified, it's because men benefit from their systemic privilege during the hiring ad promotional process.   

Furthermore, it is essential to understand how this may play out in the workplace, particularly in male dominated areas. Where women are underrepresented, their ideas or perspectives may be as well. This says more about the make-up of the team than the validity of their input, a fact that many teams may not recognise. 

Leverage your position 

When you reflect on your positional power at work, you'll see where you're best positioned to make changes that can help reduce gender bias. The term "power" isn't just in reference to your role and level of seniority, but also the relationships you have in the workplace and your ability to influence people's attitudes and behaviour. 

It's important to remember that everyone has some level of power at work, and often these can be underestimated if you're just beginning your career or are new to the workplace. But participation at all levels of a company can make a big difference. 

For example, you may not be a manager, but perhaps you have a friendly relationship with colleagues who often demonstrate biased behaviour. You may not lead a large team, but maybe once a week you head a small team on-site. 

Combating gender bias in the moment 

Research done for IWD 2019 found that two-thirds of people around the globe agree that men must be involved in the battle for gender equality for it to be achieved. Whether you identify as male, female or non-binary, if you witness gender-based bias or discrimination in the workplace you should speak up. 

Addressing the explicit incident, either in the moment or as close as possible, shows other employees that you don't tolerate biased behaviour – and neither should they. This can be intimidating, so here are some steps to help: 

• Ask a probing question: For example, "would you react in the same way if it was a male?" 
• Stick to the facts and explain how bias is at play: this shouldn't be done in an aggressive or accusatory manner. Instead, simply relay the situation and the injustices that are at play. 
• Advocate for change: if you see continuous gender bias occurring within your workplace, it is a good idea to discuss this with a member of the HR team or your manager. Drawing their attention to the issue can help to set policy and process changes in motion that can reduce these incidents. 

Not only does greater gender equality boost companies' profitability and productivity, but it also creates a better social environment for the entirety of the workforce, and make all employees happier. If you want to get involved in International Women's Day, or learn more about #BreaktheBias, visit the website.