Misogynists? Men are secret FEMINISTS - but they're afraid to support women in case their motives are misread
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The amount of women in executive positions at Fortune 500 companies has remained at a dismal 15 per cent.
Only last month UN investigator Rashida Manjoo declared that the UK has a 'boys' club sexist culture' with sexism work in Britain than any other place.
Part of the problem, according to psychologists, is that many men are in fact 'secret feminists' but are afraid to speak up because their motives may be misread.
Recent studies suggest men are reluctant to support women in the workplace in case their motives are misread. Adam Grant at the University of Pennsylvania claims that 'secret male feminists' need to be brought out of their shell if more women are to get executive positions
Adam Grant, a professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, highlights the fact that in conversation about women in leadership, male voices are noticeably absent.
For instance, of Amazon's 100 top-selling books this week about women and business, only four were written by men.
'Some men want to voice their support, but fear that no one will take them seriously, because they lack a vested interest in the cause,' Professor Grant writes in the Atlantic.
But is this just an excuse? 'I don't think so,' said Professor Grant. 'There's evidence that when a cause seems inconsistent with our self-interest, we fear that we'll incur a backlash, so we hold back.'
'Some men want to voice their support, but fear that no one will take them seriously, because they lack a vested interest in the cause,' said Professor Grant. Pictured is a sexist vintage advert from Schlitz
Rashida Manjoo, the UN's special rapporteur on violence against women, last month said the culture of gender inequality in Britain was 'more prevalent' than anywhere else
WOMEN ARE FINE WITH SEXISM... IF IT BENEFITS THEM, CLAIMS STUDY
While wolf whistling might rankle, it seems that not all sexist behaviour is seen as a bad thing, according to a recent study.
'Benevolent sexism', where women are treated as helpless entities in need of protection, is seen in a positive light by many - particularly those women with a strong sense of entitlement.
The results appeared in a study conducted by researchers at the University of Auckland The study was set up to test part of the Ambivalent Sexism Theory, which splits discrimination against women into two varieties - hostile and benevolent.
Hostile, also known as misogyny, encompasses those who see women as second class and those who think women are intellectually inferior to men as well as other obviously sexist standpoints
Benevolent sexism, meanwhile, is the term used to describe the actions of those men and women who believe females depend on their male partners for everything from money to guidance and find it difficult to exist independently.
The study, which spoke to 2,700 women and 1,600 New Zealand men, found that women with a greater sense of entitlement were more likely to agree with statements such as 'Women should be cherished and protected by men.'
Separate research by psychologists, Rebecca Ratner at the University of Maryland and Dale Miller at Stanford, seems to support Professor Grant's theory.
During a series of studies in which men actively supported women's rights, people responded with surprise and aggression. Both men and women were shocked and resentful toward the men.
Professor Ratner asked a group of students whether they opposed a fictional policy called proposition 174, in which funds were to be cut for research into a health issue that affected either men or women.
Whatever their gender and whether they were told it concerned men or women, the level of opposition did no vary. However, when asked if they would give active support people were far less willing to do so for the opposite sex.
'I saw this happen recently when I facilitated a conversation for a group about gender and leadership,' said Professor Grant.
'A man raised his hand to share his support for bringing more women into leadership positions. I expected enthusiastic reactions from his female peers, but instead, his comment was greeted with skepticism.
'One woman directly questioned his intentions: What was his ulterior motive? Was he trying to ingratiate himself with women to improve his dating prospects?'
Professor Grant believes that 'secret male feminists' need to be brought out of their shell if more women are to get executive positions in the workplace.
'That support depends not only on breaking glass ceilings and attacking overt sexism, but also on dismantling the fears that prevent men from being better allies,' he said.
Advertisers once played on the fact many saw women as good for little other than shopping. While attitudes have come a long way, recent research suggests many men are still afraid to speak up in support of women
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