It was the Everyday Sexism project, founded by Laura Bates in 2012, that reignited the important backlash against sexism in the workplace. It was the belief of those who established the project that the most dangerous kind of misogyny was that which had become normalised by the sheer frequency of its occurrence. The kind of misogyny that has been quietly undermining the professional careers of women for many years.
The news today that Charlotte Proudman, a successful barrister, has experienced several incidents of sexism via her LinkedIn profile, highlights the ongoing problem of casual misogyny both online and in working environments.
The comments made by Alexander Carter-Silk weren’t shocking; in fact, they’re pretty everyday, and perhaps that’s why these news stories are so important. The comments may actually seem a little underwhelming for those who read the title of this article and mistakenly expected ‘raunchy professional girl meets boy’. The message from Carter-Silk is tame at best, he even acknowledges his own inappropriateness. This is just innocent fun, right?
Perhaps what we should be asking ourselves is why we find it absoutely normal that, in the 21st century, women in professional environments are still judged first and foremost by their appearance. Despite Proudman’s numerous achievements as a barrister specialising in violence against women and girls, the first comment made by Carter-Silk was in reference to her ‘stunning’ profile picture.
Today’s developments will come as unwelcome news for a profession that’s in constant struggle with its reputation for casual sexism. Only two years ago, Lady Hale, Britain’s most senior female judge, criticised the profession’s failure to give top jobs to women, with only 35% of barristers in 2014 being female. Only when the demeaning and casual objectification of women has ended will gender diversity at the top of the profession improve.
Proudman’s tweet prompted a number of replies from other women who’d experienced similar sexist advances via LinkedIn, now seemingly a corner of the internet where confused middle-aged professionals go to dabble in internet dating. Blaming confusion is, however, too kind. This is an online manifestation of sexism in the workplace, a form of discrimination that has existed for as long as the workplace has been open to women.
This embarrassing example of casual misogyny is proof that nothing is more threatening than a woman with a successful career.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.