Women’s History Month may be over, but that doesn’t mean educating ourselves on and about women’s issues needs to end. In fact, it should be a year-long endeavor. This month, I wanted to talk about unconscious gender bias, what it means, how it can affect you, and how to handle it in a professional setting.
What Is Unconscious Bias?
So, what even is unconscious bias in the first place? According to researchers, unconscious bias is often defined as “prejudice or unsupported judgments in favor of or against one thing, person, or group as compared to another, in a way that is usually considered unfair.” While no one wants to be accused of judging others unconsciously, it’s not always done maliciously.
Often, it’s our brain’s way of creating shortcuts based on your own past evidence with that person or group. It helps our brains conserve energy and make decisions faster. Unfortunately, it’s often focused toward minority groups, based on factors such as:
Skin color
Weight
Age
Gender
Accent
Level of education
Sexuality
Socio economic status
Ethnicity
Nationality
Religious beliefs
Wait…Gender?
Yes, gender. I’m kidding, you’re probably not surprised at all.
Unfortunately, even for people who are actively trying not to stereotype, researchers have found that their unconscious mind is working against them due to “culture in mind” (aka culture influences your unconscious mind, whether you want it to or not).