'I felt an unspoken pressure to smile' - Kenyan women in the workplace
Summary
The article discusses the challenges faced by women in the Kenyan workplace, where they often feel pressured to be agreeable and avoid being seen as difficult. This issue, termed "likeability labour," highlights a broader trend of women being underrepresented in senior positions in industries such as healthcare and financial services. A report shows that a significant drop occurs from entry-level positions to management roles in Kenya and similar patterns are seen in Nigeria and India.Key Facts
- Women in Kenya often face pressure to appear agreeable at work, a phenomenon called "likeability labour."
- This pressure can prevent women from expressing their true opinions in professional settings.
- The "broken rung" is a term that describes a significant barrier women face when trying to move from entry-level to management roles.
- In Kenya, women make up 50% of entry-level roles but only 26% of senior leadership positions.
- The issue of women's underrepresentation in leadership roles is also seen in Nigeria and India.
- A UK study found that 56% of women feel pressure to be likeable at work, compared to 36% of men.
- The need for women to use minimising language is a strategy to avoid being perceived as abrasive or assertive.
- Sociologists link this pressure to broader societal expectations and class elements affecting how women are perceived in different environments.
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