A Financial Times survey of the fund industry (subscription required) has found that sexual harassment in finance is “rife,” with 28 percent of women saying they had experienced harassment and an additional 54 percent saying they had faced inappropriate behavior.
More powerful than the numbers were the descriptions of attitudes women in finance say must contend with. One survey respondent said that whenever her team failed to win business, she was blamed for not wearing a shorter skirt. Another said that they only way she could be taken seriously was by dressing down — wearing glasses, a cardigan and tying her hair back. “Certain asset classes are very male dominated, which results in behaviours and cultures that may alienate female colleagues,” one woman told the FT.
Why is the finance industry so sexist?