Description

EIGE is producing a handbook to combat sexism in the workplace, tailored to the EU institutions and agencies. The focus will be on informal mechanisms to foster cultural change and create workplaces where women and men can work free from the constraints of gender stereotypes. The handbook will also touch on ways to deal with sexual harassment as an extreme manifestation of sexism.

The handbook will include an ‘Understand’ section with information to help readers understand what sexism is, followed by a ‘Self-scan’ for leaders and individual staff to check how they are doing when it comes to fighting sexism in their organisations. The ‘Act’ section will provides concrete tips for how to eliminate sexism, for example by ensuring that task allocation is gender-neutral (e.g. women are not overly relied upon to do the office ‘housework’ of arranging informal events or taking notes in meetings).

The EU institutions and agencies have strong frameworks in place to combat harassment. However employees still experience sexism, and while some sexist behaviour may breach anti-harassment rules, some does not reach that threshold. This handbook aims to help organisations create cultural change to eliminates behaviour which negatively affects staff.

Sexism at work: how can we stop it? Handbook for the EU institutions and agencies