Gendered Microaggressions in STEM
This page is designed to support the STEM sector in raising awareness to gendered microaggressions by providing a collection of printable and shareable infographics that can be used by anyone.
What is a microaggression?
Microaggressions are everyday comments, behaviors, or environmental signals that convey negative or limiting messages about a person based on their group identity. They may be intentional or unintentional — but the impact matters more than the intent.
The term was introduced in the 1970s by Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chester Pierce to describe subtle forms of racial bias. It has since been expanded to include gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other identities, and is now widely recognized in workplace and educational research.
Microaggressions are often
- Brief and commonplace
- Subtle or ambiguous
- Framed as jokes, misunderstandings, or “just the way things are”
- Easy for bystanders to overlook
Unlike overt discrimination, they rarely involve explicit hostility. Instead, they accumulate over time. And “micro” does not mean minor.
Research shows that repeated exposure is linked to increased stress, reduced sense of belonging, lower job satisfaction, and workplace disengagement.
What makes a microaggression gendered?
A microaggression becomes gendered when it reinforces stereotypes, norms, or power hierarchies based on gender.
Gendered microaggressions operate within broader systems where certain genders have historically held more authority, credibility, and access to opportunity. In male-dominated fields, these patterns can be especially visible.
They often
- Question women’s competence or technical expertise
- Reinforce traditional gender roles (e.g., caregiving or emotional labor)
- Sexualize or trivialize women’s presence
- Exclude women from informal networks and mentorship
- Penalize caregiving or parenthood differently
They are “gendered” not simply because gender is mentioned, but because they maintain unequal norms and access to power.
Repeated over time, these behaviors shape who is heard, who advances, and who feels they belong.
Gendered Microaggressions in Engineering
Download the Gendered Microaggressions in Engineering Infographics
Explore a collection of printable and shareable infographics designed to raise awareness about gendered microaggressions in engineering workplaces. These resources are great for training, presentations, awareness raising through social media, or community conversations—helping to identify, challenge, and respond to everyday behaviours that contribute to inequitable and exclusionary cultures in STEM.
This set of infographics was developed in collaboration with the ACEC Ontario Women’s Community of Practice (CoP), bringing together sector expertise to support greater awareness and action on gendered microaggressions in engineering. We encourage you to use and share them widely to increase knowledge, spark dialogue and support more inclusive environments.
This project has been funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada
Get Involved
For more information, please contact:
Aakanksha Mathur (she/her)
Manager of Public Policy, Advocacy and Communications
amathur@womanact.ca
Learn more about the Advancing Equality: Addressing Workplace Harassment through Policy Change in the STEM Sector Project
This project emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, bringing together industry leaders, survivor advocates, and gender equity experts to conduct research and co-develop impactful, evidence-based solutions.