Women of Influence+ released the results of its recent study, Exploring the Impact of Ageism on Women in the Workplace. The organization surveyed more than 1250 women spanning 46 countries across various industries to gain insights into the nuances of ageism and its impact on women in the workplace. According to the results, 77.8% of women surveyed have encountered ageism in the workplace, underscoring the severity of ageism as a critical barrier to professional growth. Ageism is also highly visible, with 80.7% of people having witnessed women in the workplace being treated differently due to their age – with another 46.2% reporting ageism as an ongoing issue. The results are heightened across the board, with 40.7% of respondents experiencing ageism within the first decade of their career and 55.9% of respondents experiencing ageism after surpassing 21 years in their career.

Ageism presents in various forms, including stereotypes and assumptions (74.8%), lack of respect (50.1%), and unfair treatment in the promotion process (49%). The impacts of ageism are severe, including impaired career progression (57.7%), lack of sense of belonging at work (52.1%), and dissatisfaction with employers (50.9%). The findings from this report stand as a call to action – all organizations need to take strides to create inclusive and equitable workplaces free of ageism.