Sexist Comments Research: The Motherhood Penalty

To help continue educating the public on what sexism looks like, I am publishing a series of LinkedIn articles that share a sampling of these comments. This 13th article shares comments that focus on what is called "The Motherhood Penalty," which is part of the “stereotypes” category in our study. Here is some general background about this research: To better understand women’s experiences in the state of Utah, researchers Robbyn Scribner, Dr. April Townsend, and I collected and analyzed a wide variety of sexist comments women have experienced. Overall, about 1,750 comments were provided from nearly 850 participants for this?Utah Women & Leadership Project?(UWLP) study. The goal of the research was to educate the public (both men and women) on the many forms that conscious and unconscious sexist comments can take, from shocking statements to those that are more subtle.

Background

In this study, the broader “Stereotypes” theme was broad and included comments stereotyping both men’s and women’s behavior. There were 151 comments in the “Motherhood Penalty” category, focusing on situations in which professional women were penalized once they became mothers through the loss of opportunities, pay, and advancement. Many of these comments were also coded in the “Women Should Prioritize Homemaker Roles” category, but the workplace penalties mentioned here made these comments worthy of distinct mention. Some participants noted that even though some of these comments and behaviors are illegal, they are still common. Comments in this category were most often made by men in the workplace who were in a position of authority over the participant and who were 46–59 years old.

Comments

First, despite this phenomenon being known as the “Motherhood Penalty,” women found they were being penalized for being pregnant or merely having the potential to be mothers:

• “A male boss said, ‘If you become pregnant, you’ll be asked to resign. If you get married while employed here and don’t get pregnant after a certain amount of time, we’ll meet to determine if this job is stopping you from getting pregnant.’”
• “When I was pregnant, I heard this comment from a manager [regarding maternity leave], ‘Man, I wish I could take a four-month paid vacation.’”
• “When I was negotiating an increase in pay, my male boss told me that they weren’t sure they wanted to invest in me because ‘I could get pregnant any time.’”
• “My male manager said, ‘You are not to be seen by clients while you are visibly pregnant.’”

In addition, comments showing discrimination specifically against mothers ranged from subtle to egregious:

• “When discussing a possible promotion, my manager said, ‘Don’t you want to spend more time with your family?’”
• “The comment was during the job interview: ‘Do you have any kids? Or any reason why you would have to run home during the middle of the day or why you would have to call out sick to take care of them?’”
• “My male co-worker said, ‘My wife would do that’ (regarding my leaving a meeting to get a sick kid from school).”
• “In a group setting, with multiple external influencers, he said, ‘She’s pregnant so you can’t trust that she cares about us or her children. Women should be in the home taking care of children, and any woman who chooses to work doesn’t care about her kids.’”
• “He said, ‘I won’t hire that person because she has young children at home, and I can’t in good conscience support a mother working outside her home.’”

Speaking up against sexism can be a powerful force for reducing gender inequity around objectification, as it can help others challenge their own biases and model more equitable forms of communication. Further, being prepared to respond to everyday sexism can help women feel more confident in their interactions with others. To learn more about the research and ways women responded, read the brief, “Sexist Comments & Responses: Stereotypes.”

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Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project. Thanks to Robbyn T. Scribner and Dr. April Townsend for their great work on this study!