Does achieving gender equality only benefit women? Are gender quotas thwarting meritocracy? Are women more risk averse than men? If you think you know the answers to these questions, then think again! Busted is an audio podcast series that busts prominent myths surrounding gender and the economy by teaming up with leading experts in the field. We uncover the origins of each myth and give you the tools to bust each myth yourself!
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If women just negotiated more, maybe they’d close the gender pay gap, right? Think again. While some popular media has characterized women as just needing to step up and ask for more to change inequality, research shows that when they do negotiate, they often face backlash for going against gender norms. In this episode, we discuss how people of different social groups experience different responses when they try to negotiate – and how women negotiate in many different ways beyond just for pay.
Episode 7 – Myth – Good leadership is masculine leadership
What makes a good leader? When you hear this question, do you think about traits like assertiveness, ambition, and determination? A lot of people may be surprised to realize that as a society, we often associate good leadership with stereotypically masculine traits. In fact, a range of different traits—including both stereotypically masculine and feminine traits—make effective leaders. This episode delves into the myth that good leadership is masculine leadership and explores how we can facilitate more diverse and representative leaders across our workplaces and our societies.
Redeem Points for ListeningEpisode 6 – Myth: Gender inequality has a one-size-fits-all solution
What is intersectionality, anyway? We’ll demystify it in this episode–and delve into the myth that gender inequality can have a one-size-fits-all solution. Intersectionality shows us how we need to consider how our different social identities such as race, gender, religion, Indigeneity, immigrant status, disability, and sexual identity all intersect to play a significant role in how we experience the world. So, rather than creating policies, services, and research that homogenize people, we need to make sure we apply intersectionality—or we risk leaving people behind.
Redeem Points for ListeningEpisode 1 – Myth: Gender Equality Only Benefits Women
Conversations around gender equality tend to focus on the significant barriers to resources and opportunities that women face. As a result of this focus, there is a pervasive myth that gender equality will only benefit women. Yet, contrary to this myth, gender equality benefits everyone. All people grapple with gender roles and stereotypes. We bust this myth with leading experts to show how, faster child development, greater peace, and economic prosperity are related to gender equality!
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Episode 2 — Myth: Gender quotas thwart meritocracy
The issue of whether to implement gender quotas for leadership positions, boards, political parties, and other groups is hotly debated. Some have argued that quotas are necessary to push gender equality forward and create a more level playing field. Others believe that implementing quotas gives an unfair advantage to women who do not deserve these positions: if they did deserve them, they would achieve them on their own merit. In other words, they perceive that gender quotas thwart meritocracy. We bust this myth with leading experts to show how quotas can actually be more beneficial than harmful.
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Episode 3 — Myth: It’s Not Us, It’s the Pipeline
There is a common belief that women are underrepresented in fields dominated by men, such as in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) sectors, because there are just not enough women in the pipeline. Some have argued that women choose not to enter these careers because they simply have different preferences or aspirations. In turn, this implies that companies and firms do not have responsibility for a lack of gender diversity. However, this is a myth. A substantial number of women are qualified to work in fields dominated by men. For instance, in 2015 in Canada, women accounted for 43% of university graduates from STEM programs. Yet, women with STEM degrees are less likely than men with the same degrees to work in science and technology occupations. We bust this myth with leading experts to show that companies and firms need to take more action to make STEM fields more equitable and less gender-segregated.
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Episode 4 — Myth: Women Are More Risk-Averse Than Men
Popular discourse tends to depict women as less likely than men to take risks. Christine LaGarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, famously implied that women make less risky financial decisions when she stated that the financial crisis of 2008 would not have occurred “if it had been Lehman Sisters rather than Lehman Brothers”. But are women really more risk-averse than men? Research has in fact shown that men and women are more similar in their risk preferences than commonly believed. We bust this myth with leading experts to show that women may act more risk-averse only because of gender norms that place expectations on them to do so.
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Episode 5 — Myth: Sexual Harassment is a Women’s Issue and a Result of Sexual Desire
Sexual harassment is often portrayed as an issue that only concerns women, where women are victims of harassment because they were “asking for it” through their behaviours or dress. This portrayal puts the onus on women to stop harassment by simply changing their actions. . Yet, sexual harassment is not a “women’s issue” in the sense that victims can be of any gender and perpetrators tend to be men. This perception also ignores the reality that sexual harassment is often about having power and control over someone else. We bust this common myth to show that it is imperative that the social norms that drive harassment and toxic work cultures are addressed instead of blaming the actions of women
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