Can you wear pink in the workplace?

Author: Anastasiia Novikova

The answer to this question is definitely ‘yes’, as long as you are not afraid of stereotypes.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t wear something because it was too feminine? Have you ever been undervalued at work in a male-dominated field? Maybe your boss showed you unwelcome attention? Are you reluctant to network because you are afraid that your colleagues will take it as flirting?

In this blog we look at all these issues and more, as we examine the causes of inequality in the corporate world and what it leads to.

Appearance

One of the most common stereotypes about women concerns their appearance. Suppose a woman has been promoted to a managerial position. Women in these roles are generally expected to dress like a man, because of a belief that traditionally feminine clothing, or the choice of bright colours would seem frivolous, and does not inspire confidence. Colourful eye-catching clothes often attract criticism. Who does she want to seduce?  For whom did she put on make-up? Why is a woman in a dress in the office and not in the kitchen? For example, when my gorgeous friend arrived at the office of a large law firm on her first working day, one of the men in the office advised her to become a manicure artist instead.

In addition to being judged by their appearance, for many women adopting a certain ‘look’ is also a requirement. For example, in Ukraine, it is still normal for employers to set youth and ‘pleasant appearance’ as criteria for successful female job candidates.

Admittedly, the situation in this regard is getting much better and women are gaining more recognition. However, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a social media post by a rich woman without a comment underneath about who she might have slept with in order to get her money. And since I’ve never seen such comments under men’s posts, it’s clear that the problem still exists.

Leadership positions 

Women are often underestimated as leaders. If a woman opens a business, people think that she is doing so with her husband’s money. And if she gains a high position, it’s because she is someone’s mistress. According to the notorious misogynist, Andrew Tate, currently facing extradition to the UK from Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking, women are ‘intrinsically lazy’ and there is ‘no such thing as an independent woman’. Tate had more than 6.9 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) and yes, his Twitter account has now been blocked, but his influence on those 6.9 million people hasn’t disappeared. 

But it is not just men who can discriminate against women in the workplace. Have you ever noticed that women leaders themselves often have a negative attitude towards other women in the workplace, treating feminists with disdain? This is called the queen bee phenomenon. According to this theory, women leaders internalise misogynistic ideas as they attempt to assimilate into organisations where men hold the majority of management positions. Such women do not realise that they are doing this in an attempt to protect their own social status and distance themselves from existing stereotypes.

It is true that in recent years there have been noticeable changes and companies are trying to adhere to gender equality at least for the sake of their reputations. However, if you look closely, women still tend to occupy low-level positions, while more senior positions are still disproportionately dominated by men.

Competence and confidence

Women seeking business investment often feel that they are required to give reasons why their project will not fail, while men are required to give reasons why it will succeed.

There is clear evidence to support these concerns. An experiment was conducted in which participants received a business plan with the author’s gender randomly assigned. According to the results, women entrepreneurs were rated as less competent and their business plans less worthy of investment. In other words, the same business idea was considered worse if it came from a woman rather than from a man.

Clearly, women still do not get enough recognition, especially in areas traditionally dominated by men. For example, not long ago I attended a forum on intellectual property law and was surprised that there was not a single female speaker, despite the fact that there are a lot of women specialists with great experience in this field of law.

Women themselves also underestimate their own competence. Since childhood, they have been taught to be obedient, while men are expected to take risks. Women are less confident, especially in industries where men are stereotypically seen as achieving better results. That’s why, although 28% of all newly registered businesses in Ukraine in 2022 were started by women, they were mostly in the service sector: the beauty industry, clothing, handmade jewellery and home decor. According to YouControl, an online company verification service, out of 330 companies with the highest revenue in Ukraine, only 11 have a woman as their sole owner. Moreover, three of these are not ‘real’ businesswomen, but merely manage their companies for the benefit of third parties. 

In areas that are not considered to be a woman’s domain, women are often afraid to express their opinions and frequently refuse compliments. Katherine B. Coffman, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, says that even when women have the necessary knowledge and skills, they often do not apply for prestigious positions and do not advance in their careers.

Emotions

This is a trap, in which women are presented with two options: either be hysterical and stupid, or a cold bitch. What will you choose? To be Elle Woods from Legally Blonde or Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada? I find both of them pretty hot, but as my hair won´t survive being dyed blonde I feel that society limits my options even more here!

Woman leaders also have no right to express emotion, otherwise they are considered weak. For example, despite Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’sconsistent, balanced behaviour, the media still attacked her when she burst into tears during the election campaign.

A woman should not be angry either. Since men are stereotypically assertive and dominant, if a woman also has these qualities, she is not perceived as assertive and competitive, but rather as angry and overbearing.

Networking

In much the same way, if a man goes to a bar after work with a male boss to have a beer, he is building a friendly relationship, but if a woman does, it would probably mean she wants to seduce him. In this situation, she risks looking unprofessional and like a person looking for easy ways to get promoted.

A woman must constantly monitor her behaviour and words around men. Many of them are not used to thinking of women as friends or colleagues and perceive politeness as flirting.

Also, when a woman is praised for her work, it can be difficult for her to understand whether it’s because she genuinely did something good, or whether it is just an excuse to invite her for coffee. At least it was difficult for me…

That’s why, as Anne Ravanona, gender equality advocate and entrepreneur, says, ‘Women have 500 cups of coffee with the wrong people, and men have five cups of coffee with the right people – and get funded from the back of the envelope.’

Conclusions

Stereotypes are harmful to our society. They force women to think not only about their professional activities, but also about many other peripheral elements, all of which distract their attention and take up a significant amount of energy. In such an environment, women often feel pressured to repeatedly prove their competence and strengths.

However, the solution to this problem should not lie in conforming to stereotypes, or giving up their individuality. It is important to create an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can be confident and express themselves freely. 

So, if you like it, go ahead and wear pink, express yourself and your individuality and shine bright. Don’t get hung up on stereotypes and the expectations of others – if someone is determined to do so, they will find something that they don’t like about you anyway. So you may as well wear what makes you feel good. Women need to find their confidence, speak up about their achievements, and respect each other.