“Prejudice is a living fossil that haunts modern workplaces, creating barriers for women and other underrepresented groups” – Iris Bohnet.
Studies have shown that women often face bias when speaking out in the workplace. This form of bias can be conscious or unconscious, but has real consequences for women.
Context and motivations
In a study conducted by Yale psychologist Victoria L. Brescoll, male and female employees were asked to rate executives’ performance. The results showed that female executives who spoke frequently received a 14% lower competence rating compared to their male counterparts who spoke just as much, but were rewarded with 10% higher ratings.
An application is born
These biases are so widespread that it’s no wonder that women, on average, speak less than men in meetings. Swedish design company Doberman has developed an app called GenderEQ to help eliminate gender bias in the workplace.
How the app works
The app monitors and rates meetings based on voice recognition, then analyzes the data to show the percentage of time taken by male and female speakers. It works on a phone or tablet, which can be placed on the table in the middle of a meeting to indicate in real time who is speaking and for how long.
Critical analysis
The app does, however, raise questions about grouping voices into male and female voices based on frequency and tone. This may reinforce certain stereotypes, even as the app seeks to eliminate others.
Conclusion
Doberman is aware that gender identity is a much more complex topic than that and that the app will not solve gender inequality. They hope, however, that the app can spark a conversation about everyone’s behavior and interaction during meetings.