You are good for a girl”, or "he was assigned to it because he can do it better than you can.” Almost all of the women working in sexist workplaces have heard such comments.

Sexism is any act, gesture, visual representation, spoken or written words, practice, or behaviour based upon the idea that a person or a group of persons is inferior because of their sex, which occurs in the public or private. 

In the workplace, this normally occurs when a woman is for instance denied a job opportunity because of her gender, or where a man is offered an opportunity because it is believed for him to be better at it than his female counterpart.

In the absence of support, women have to shoulder the burden of battling routine workplace sexism such as misogynist humour and microaggressions. This can lead to a sense of isolation, stress, and exhaustion.

It is good to engage all employees, both male and female if a company is to grow. Net photo.

Nancy Zagabe a customer service and documentation officer at Gulf First, a shipping and logistics company, says that a sexist environment limits a woman’s capability.

"It sets boundaries for a woman in the workplace. It limits their belief in their capabilities and it can also be a way of intimidation, where they will be often worried about how their colleagues view them,” she says.

For this, Zagabe thinks it is good to engage all employees, both male and female if a company is to grow.

Yeetah Kamikazi an employee at Klab Rwanda, a technology innovation hub says that men should collaborate and have a teamwork spirit. This will support females working in a place where sexism is present.

"I believe in gender balance and I do believe that what a man can do, a woman can also do. Women have the capacity to do what men can do in terms of job performance, I don’t think it’s an issue working in a place that has more men or going for a profession that is mostly known to be for males. As a woman, you adjust and work normally because we can work with men and learn from each other,” she says.

Sexist tendencies can hold employees and harm their wellbeing and performance as well, experts say. Holding one gender in high esteem than the other can often channel people into the wrong roles. This harms the workplace.

Gloire Kayitare, project lead at Talent Match. inc, says it’s important to understand that there is no such thing as ‘certain jobs meant for males or females.’

"Both men and women can choose to join any field of their choice and can both do it equally and well as long as they are committed. Therefore equality is really needed at the workplace,” he says.

How to deal with sexism

"When one finds herself or himself in that situation, the best thing to do is to speak up. Let them know that you are not comfortable with their remarks or behaviour, show them your potential too,” says Kayitare.

Emmy Shimiye a human resource professional at Safintra Rwanda Ltd is of the view that human resource and managers need to implement a firm policy that strictly prohibits any actions that can make an employee feel out of place.

"This makes employees understand that whoever will engage in such acts will be punished. Any task can be done by anyone; managers that discriminate women by not giving them certain tasks because of their gender are not great leaders. Therefore, such policies are needed in every workplace and they should apply to everyone,” says 

According to career contessa-a women’s career advice site, here is how you can deal with sexism in the workplace:

First and foremost, don’t settle for double standards

That is to say, if your boss calls all your male co-workers by their last names but calls you by your first (or God forbid, "Toots”), speak up. Ask why. It can feel scary, but often the double standards are so ingrained, people don’t realise they’re enabling them.

Find allies in the workplace

If there are other women in the office, speak to them about their own experiences. How are they feeling? Resigned? Alienated? If it’s clear that there’s a deeper issue with company culture, it’s worth bringing up to your HR department.

HR: That’s what they’re there for 

HR doesn’t need to be a last resort. In fact, they’re there for advice so consult them. It doesn’t hurt to bring these items up in meetings with your boss either, especially during an annual or performance review if it’s a long-term overarching issue in the work environment. It helps to present a possible solution when you bring up such a touchy problem.