Fighting for Women’s Rights in the Boys Club: Gender discrimination in the workplace

by Liane Tessier

Today, gender discrimination in the workplace is an issue that many in society associate with a bygone era: irrelevant and outdated.

As women gained rights in the workplace and made their way through the patriarchal society, opportunities for equality within many workplaces improved.

However, as a woman who has worked in two of the biggest boys clubs – firefighting and longshoring – gender discrimination and harassment within the male dominated workplace is a reality for many women across North America, causing massive suffering for those who are subjected to it.

As prevalent as this is, women still do not feel safe voicing their struggles or concerns and ultimately suffer in silence. If they speak out, they are subjected to retaliation and backlash. Malicious gossip, blame, poor treatment, name-calling, personal threats, property damage, sexual coercion, intentional alienation/intimidation and bullying are just a few of the tactics used by the men who harass to try and shut women up by making us fearful.

This silent epidemic among women is why society is naive to the realities concerning harassment towards women within this type of workplace.

The first step to combating this discrimination is recognizing that it exists and speaking out about it but, unfortunately, a large majority of women within the male dominated workplace have adopted the view that putting up with inappropriate behaviour by the boys club is a sign of strength.

For more on this topic, please see part 1 of my recent blog, entitled "'Support' groups, silence, suffering and a culture of submission: The problem with women."

As a result, many women like myself, who do speak out, are isolated and alone in our battles while employers, agencies and government are able to continue to deny or pretend to not know about gender harassment. Not enough women are willing or able to speak out; many others don’t even recognize discrimination.

The handful of women who do speak out are crushed by the reality that it’s just not safe to do so and there is no aid or support for her them if they do – they’re not supported, believed or taken seriously.

People in positions of power within government and industry know that gender discrimination is an issue, but they do nothing about it; worse yet, they pretend it doesn’t exist. They know women will continue to be complacent.

Even more deeply troubling to me is that this same attitude often arises within agencies and organizations that claim to be advocating for my rights as a woman. Organizations, like women’s groups and the human rights commission, that should be progressive ignore me and continue to avoid this all-important issue.

It’s no wonder that women don’t speak out - male dominated workplaces are unsafe for women to have a voice. The institutions, agencies and companies that are supposed to protect women do not and will not do enough, if they do anything at all.

As my story will reveal, when women overstep their boundaries within the boys club and exercise their power and speak out, as I did, the world changes overnight for the worse. You are considered a traitor and treated like a pariah, intentionally ignored and ostracized by the men in question, by other male co-workers, and by women, who are afraid to side with you out of fear that they, too, will be subject to retaliation.

I have been the subject of malicious gossip more times than I can count.

My views have been undermined and my credibility questioned, seemingly for no other reason than that, as a woman, I am perceived as an outsider to the boys club and any skills I bring to it are seen as a threat.

There is a huge gap in power, respect and fair treatment for women in the workplace, especially in areas traditionally dominated by men.

In the workplace, little empathy is to be found for the emotional toll fighting back exerts on us.

Those of us who stand up for our rights are viewed as troublemakers, emotional, crazy, or liars by the men who harass.

The general public calls us weak and unstable; they have no idea what is really happening and their ignorant backlash triggers more pain.

This kind of abuse upon abuse is normal for women who speak out about gender discrimination, and my story is not unique. There are countless other women who are going through similar long, frustrating series of attempts to achieve justice of some sort.

Tackling the misconceptions and worn-out popular fallacies concerning the issue of gender-based discrimination is an arduous and frustrating undertaking, exacting a huge social and emotional toll on women – and I should know. I’ve been fighting this uphill battle for eight years. The video details my struggles to have my voice heard when I complained of the gender discrimination I experienced.

My battle officially started back in 2005, when I was forced to file numerous internal complaints due to the harassing circumstances I encountered working as a firefighter. My complaints to senior management went nowhere.

I sought justice through other departments, such as human resources personnel, only to find the same dismissive attitude. My last hope was the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which ended up adding another layer to the ongoing harassment.

So I proceeded to file complaints with numerous other organizations.

In 2007 I went to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, the ombudsman's office and the Canadian Employee Assistance Program Association. Throughout the years, I sought the help of several women’s organizations as well as provincial and city politicians, and received little or no response.

In April 2009, I went to the local media (the Chronicle Herald and the Coast). I was subjected to online retaliation and malicious comments by readers.

Currently, I am continuing my fight and have filed for a judicial review of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission’s cursory, flawed and inadequate process.  All I have ever wanted was to have the truth be determined; the NS Human Rights Commission barely attempted to try and do this; I elaborate more on my struggles with this organization in this video.

Gender discrimination is an issue that is hard to prove and not taken seriously. I am looking to change the way gender discrimination is viewed, understood and handled. It’s a tall order, but who else is doing it? Not the agencies, employers or institutions that refuse to get a backbone and do the right thing.

Even the human rights commissions and other similar tribunals that are operating throughout the country are ignorant and inadequate. They do not fully comprehend, take seriously or know how to effectively handle this issue.

Other Canadian women I have spoken to share similar experiences, and there’s no reason to assume the situation is better elsewhere in the world.

Tossed to the wayside by the organizations whose very mandates including helping women and battling discrimination, I am disillusioned, alone and more determined than ever. It’s absolutely vital that the organizations whose mandate it is to uphold our rights wake up to the realities of gender discrimination and harassment, so prevalent within our society. That’s why I’m speaking out.

It's not easy to speak up, but I have been a soloist in this battle for far too long to give up now. Throughout the years I have spent $40,000, put in countless hours of work and put up with an untellable amount of emotional distress fighting this cause, demanding my rights as a woman – believing that I can make a difference.

However, finding support of any sort has proved near impossible. I need financial support to continue, or, at the very least, I need to find a lawyer who actually gives a damn about women’s rights and believes that this gender war can be won. But throughout all my years of dealing with lawyers, I have yet to meet one.

So I need your support.

As women, we cannot continue to take the easy, diplomatic route of quiet submission that patriarchy has instilled in our collective consciousness. After all, what are we really afraid of—that one day we could actually win the battle for equality?

We need to re-evaluate the way we think about ourselves and the society in which we live, and we need to ask ourselves why we’ve been putting up with this for so long. Why do so many women remain silent? We need to be brave enough, and angry enough, to say enough is enough. Nothing will change if we don’t.

My case and cases like mine can, if brought to justice, make a real, significant and necessary difference. I can make a difference. Eventually change has to happen; treating women like crap cannot continue to be the status quo.

Gender discrimination cannot remain at the bottom of the PR heap. It needs to move to the top of the pile, to the forefront of our thinking and into its position as a social priority.

Women deserve better. We deserve to feel safe and valued in our workplaces.

If you agree, please take a look at my video and lend a hand in any way that you can.