In the first 26 minutes of the US Presidential Debate alone, Trump interrupted Clinton 25 times; in the total debate more than 50 times. This did not go unnoticed on Twitter.

The phenomenon of women getting unnecessarily interrupted in work meetings is so common it has a name: “manterrupting.”

Studies show when women speak up at work, they are more likely to be interrupted and less likely to be credited for their contributions. As a result, women speak up less than their male counterparts.

We all exhibit unconscious gender bias. Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant phrased it as follows:

“When a woman speaks in a professional setting she walks a tight rope. Either she’s barely heard or she’s judged as too aggressive. When a man says virtually the same thing, heads nod in appreciation for his fine idea.” 

I have two more self-explaining new words for you:

• Mansplaining: A term to describe when a man patronizingly explains something to a woman, under the supposed assumption that she couldn’t possibly understand because she’s a woman;

• Bropriating: When a man takes credit for a woman’s idea at a meeting.

Putting a funny or sarcastic name to bad or dominant behavior can be empowering for women, but it is clear there’s still a lot of work to do regarding communication diversity & equality.

Anja Uitdehaag

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