Breaking the bias

Google Home is 70% more likely to recognise male speech; girls work inside, boys work outside; band aids typically come in a light ‘nude’ colour; in 2019, the all-female spacewalk was cancelled because NASA didn’t have enough suits for women – these are all forms of bias.

Why does bias matter? Bias skews decisions, effects perceptions, including hiring decisions. It’s conscious and unconscious.

Why are we talking about it? This years International Women’s Day theme is Breaking the Bias, which is about breaking such bias that impact gender equality. Gender inequality affects everyone, including men. Stereotypes or ‘rules’ about how women and men, girls and boys should be, begin childhood and follow us through to adulthood.

Test your bias with this riddle: A father and son are in a horrible car crash that kills the dad. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he’s about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, “I can’t operate – that boy is my son!” Why is this? ​ (The answer is at the end of this article).

How did you go with the riddle? Only 14% of people in the original study got the answer. This shows that what we hear is also influenced by our unconscious biases, based on previous experiences throughout our life.

It’s a collective effort to break the bias – actions big and small make a difference everyday in driving positive impact. By taking steps to mitigate gender bias in the workplace we can move closer to an equal and diverse work environment that has proven to be more productive, engaging and enjoyable.

At Monadelphous we have a Gender Diversity and Inclusion Plan (2021 – 2024) which outlines our commitments and actions we’re proactively taking to create a more diverse and inclusive business.

Do you have feedback about how we can make positive changes towards gender diversity and inclusion? Tell us what we can do differently on site, and as a team, to contribute to a more inclusive environment where everyone has an equitable opportunity to succeed.

Share you feedback with your supervisor, manager or via our divisional gender diversity and inclusion working group at ECGDI@monadel.com.au

Answer: Did you guess the surgeon could be the boy’s mother? If not, you’re part of the majority.