Women leaders are not interviewed in the media in the same way as their male counterparts. The Sista collective demonstrates this absurdly.
A fine demonstration by the absurd. What if the media asked the same questions of business leaders as they did of their female leaders? The Sista association and the Mirova Forward fund took up the challenge. And it makes for a hilarious video.
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You have to see the helpless looks and the embarrassed silences of the male personalities to measure the absurdity of certain questions. “It’s rare for a man your age to hold such a position…», «Do you manage not to let yourself be overwhelmed by your emotions?», “What is your beauty routine?”. Eight men played the game: Xavier Niel (Iliad-Free), Thierry Déau (Méridiam), Nicolas Hiéronimus (L’Oréal), Frédéric Mazzella (BlaBlaCar), Cédric O (Secretary of State for Digital), François-Henri Pinault (Kering), Jean-Marie Tritant (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) and Philippe Zaouati (Mirova).
Unconscious biases
But behind this parody interview hides a very real problem. An in-depth analysis of 118 articles (interview or portraits) from nineteen press titles highlights the existence of “gender issues“. She demonstrates that theexceptional characterof a woman at the head of a company is systematically recalled. When men are inthe action», women are associated with verbs of mediation. Men are “expertswomen are… women.
But consolation for the latter (or not): they are “youth»! The term “young womanappears five times more often than that of “young man“. These practices have consequences on the perception of women entrepreneurs or business leaders.
“It is difficult to approach investors to obtain financing when the image that is conveyed is that of a person who spends his time in his bathroom.sums up Tatiana Jama, co-founder of Sista. Often, journalists and interviewees are no longer even aware of these biases. “We must be aware of them and overcome them.», Calls Tatiana Jama. For the question on the “beauty routine» is never again asked of a female business manager…. or for it to be asked of everyone, man or woman!