Episode 50
Toxic masculinity in the workplace: what every leader needs to know
We speak with Soma Sara, author, founder and CEO of Everyone’s Invited
72% of women have either encountered or witnessed inappropriate behaviour from male colleagues at work.
A third (32%) of women say their careers have been affected by sexual harassment.
What’s caused this? And what do leaders need to do about it?
Soma Sara, author, founder, and CEO of Everyone’s Invited joins us to answer these questions. In June 2020, Soma Sara founded Everyone's Invited, an anti-rape movement organisation that allows survivors of rape culture to share their stories through testimonies anonymously on their website and Instagram profile. Soma was included in the BBC 100 global list of inspiring and influential women of 2021 and won the 2021 Harper's Bazaar Activist of the Year award.
Soma shares with us what leaders need to know about misogyny in and outside the workplace and how to tackle it. We discuss the many forms that toxic masculinity can take, including the ones that may be hiding in plain sight. And we talk about the role that we can all, including leaders, play in challenging toxic masculinity, creating safer spaces and more inclusive cultures that not only benefit women but help everyone. All of these themes are explored in Soma’s book, also called Everyone’s Invited, which is out now in paperback.
This is a frank, eye-opening discussion that some may find shocking- but you’ll be glad you listened.
Trigger warning - this episode contains references to themes of sexual assault and rape, which some individuals may find distressing.
Everyone’s Invited https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/
Everyone’s Invited book by Soma Sara https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/book
Stats above are taken from https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1797842/third-womens-careers-affected-sexual-harassment-study-finds
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Editing and production - Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
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