The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It

by Mary Ann Sieghart

An incisive, intersectional look at the mother of all gender biases: a resistance to women’s authority and power. Every woman has a story of being underestimated, ignored, challenged, or patronized in the workplace. Maybe she tried to speak up in a meeting, only to be talked over by male colleagues. Or a client addressed her male subordinate instead of her. These stories remain true even for women at the top of their fields; in the U.S. Supreme Court, for example, female justices are interrupted four times more often than their male colleagues―and 96 percent of the time by men. Despite the progress we’ve made toward equality, we still fail, more often than we might realize, to take women as seriously as men. In  The Authority Gap , journalist Mary Ann Sieghart provides a startling perspective on the gender bias at work in our everyday lives and reflected in the world around us, whether in pop culture, media, school classrooms, or politics. With precision and insight, Sieghart marshals a wealth of data from a variety of disciplines―including psychology, sociology, political science, and business―and talks to pioneering women like Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, renowned classicist Mary Beard, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Hillary Clinton. She speaks with women from a range of backgrounds to explore how gender bias intersects with race and class biases. Eye-opening and galvanizing, The Authority Gap teaches us how we as individuals, partners, parents, and coworkers can together work to narrow the gap. Sieghart exposes unconscious bias in this fresh feminist take on how to address and counteract systemic sexism in ways that benefit us all: men as well as women.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Business, Womens, Self Help, Psychology

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Mary Ann Corinna Howard Sieghart is an English author, journalist, radio presenter and former assistant editor of The Times. She has been a presenter on BBC Radio 4 for several different formats and is a visiting professor at King's College London.

Reviews

[Tanja Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to buy a stack of copies of this book and distribute it to friends, family, co workers, HR. I would send my boss a copy if I thought there was the slightest chance that he would read it.

This book how the white man is still the default setting and how women, no matter how good, are treated as less worthy. Women are under represented in media - TV, film, advertisements - and it’s generally men deciding what is shown. This matters, because just the one can make a huge impact. A large number of women in STEM had Dana Scully from the x-files as inspiration.

The book talks a lot about implicit bias. You can test yours here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit...

I was shocked to find that even I have bias against my own gender and implicitly believe that boys are better at maths and science. It doesn’t help that I myself excelled at both! Being aware helps you catch it out.

Women in authority are often perceived as bossy and “screeching” if they raise their voices. Many women, particularly in politics, lower the timber of their voices to be taken more seriously.

I am often confronted about being confrontational where I know that this would not have been an issue if I had been a man. I’ve learned that appearing warm and smiling is essential to mediate my points, which is completely unnatural. Worse, I have thought other women in powerful roles at work should smile more.

Women are being constantly put down in a thousand little ways and this is detrimental on scale. All evidence shows that companies with more female decision makers make more money. That egalitarian societies benefit everyone, so yes, this does matter. It also matters that women are viciously trolled online and therefore silenced. That we are paid less for the same job and that the burden of running a household falls disproportionately on women.

The author does a great job broadening the view and also discussing minorities, such as women of other races, with physical handicaps and lesbians. It’s a book everyone should read so that we can get the best man or woman for the job and let everyone fulfill their potential.

For the sake of a better society, read this book!

[Teodora Agarici · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is sad because I started this book already thinking I know quite an awful lot about gender inequality. I was disappointed to be proved wrong and to find out to what extent this authority gap is exercised within our society.

The myths that continue to be mind-boggling, and that Mary Ann Sighart has so wonderfully touched upon (backed up by a wealthy amount of research), start from such a young age. For instance, British parents think their sons are cleverer than their daughters.

Being interrupted, ignored, undervalued, 'manderestimated' as a woman is not news to anyone. But to be a trans person, transitioning to be a woman and actually noticing a change in the way people treat you and respect you, is deeply problematic (compared to transitioning to become a man and experiencing an improvement).

Or, as a matter of fact, men refusing to engage with literature written by female authors, whereas women are happy to read and recommend books written by both male and female writers.

The biases that we've accumulated over time don't absolve women from contributing to this authority gap either. We need to notice when we are instinctively judging someone based on a stereotype and ask ourselves whether we would have thought/asked the same thing if that person was a man.

Perhaps it's true that equality will be reached when mediocre women will be treated in the same way as mediocre men.

An insightful read. A painful reality.

[William Acharyya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely important, extremely well written, and well worth reading.

[Eilonwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will make you super angry if you're a woman (and hopefully, if you're a man, as well).

But read it anyway.

And then determine to train yourself to be aware of the ways we undermine women's authority, refuse to take women seriously, and make up excuses for why we do this. And keep practicing being aware, and paying attention to words and content rather than voice, inflection, clothing, and whatever else makes us think women and what we say and how we say it are somehow "less" -- less important, less serious, less believable, less competent, less knowledgeable, etc. (when we would accept it all at face value from any white male).

As the author points out, we all do it, and we do it without thinking about it. Awareness is at least half the battle. So read this book, try to start seeing your own blind spots towards women's authority, and let's all work on fixing this.

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched and competently compiled. Unfortunately, this book amounts to not much more than an exessively long list of examples of its title premise.

I can't help but think seighart wouldve been better expending her energy on less surface level arguments or offering more practical advice regarding the issue.

As it was, this list was very repititious. A never ending succession of successful women sharing extremely similiar complaints without much real analysis from the author.

[Roman Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want a quick and easy way to make everyone happier? Put more women in power. Trust me, everyone (including men) will be happier because of it.

[Laura Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone. It really opened my eyes to what I was blind to seeing - as it had just become part of every day life.

[Muriel Unseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

great stuff and all, but only four stars because the writer is a woman

but actually- this was excellent. It seems to be a universal female experience to be belittled in some way- and all the little belittlements came flooding back while I was reading this: asked to go get coffee at my first job, told in a finance internship that my presentation was great except for the tenor of my voice, told by a boyfriend to stop eating, told at work that a student doesn't listen to me because I must be too bubbly, the catcalling on runs, the boyfriend who was bothered instead of proud of me when I beat him in a race, the engineer who joked that my college major made me suitable to be a doctor's wife... it happens so much we can be blind to it. But I'm tired of it.

TLDR: when your female colleague gets interrupted, speak up for her.

[Conor Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important read that I’d recommend to everyone, especially men. Felt repetitive at times covering the same points in different contexts, but overall a good read. Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese both mentioned as well gowan the Irish.

[Jack Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime. Mary has spoken to such a broad range of women about their experiences, showing that the authority gap functions across society as a whole. These first hand accounts are combined with wider statistics to show just how bleak the picture is. This book is another I now consider essential reading for men. Her closing suggestions (especially those related to the individual) are easy small steps that, if you aren't doing already, are easy to implement to start to progress this necessary change.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really eye opening account of the Authority Gap, detailing how much more we have to do to achieve some equality in society between the opportunities afforded to both men and women. This is certainly a book that all men should read, there are a number of cases all backed up by actual data and also anecdotes. This book is a small but essential step on the way to creating a better society for all.

[Emma Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a depressing read. Whilst well written and an important topic it felt like a long list of things we as women already know (mostly the same thing over and again in different spheres of employment) followed by a long list of things men could do to fix it if they wanted to yet very few practical changes we as women could do.

[Kali Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy guacamole do I have a lot of thoughts on this book. So it turns out I have actually been experiencing misogyny my entire life and just like…letting it happen?

This book does a FANTASTIC job pointing out all of the struggles women face when it comes to being taken seriously by men (and women!!!) all the way from their childhoods throughout their entire careers. It really dives into all the nitty gritty ways our society discounts women’s authority while simultaneously boosting men’s (even when they don’t deserve it). This is done using real-life experiences from some of the most powerful women in the world (think prime ministers and cabinet members!!) while referencing studies completed on the subject too.

I think everyone (every MAN especially) should read this book.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is not strictly authority related, there are many things I’ve learned after previously working in a male dominated field and one of them is to never let myself suffer impostor syndrome, and since then, I never have.

Let me promise you, they don’t know what the f is going on and just make it all up, when you look (I mean properly look) you can see it plain as day.

My answer is to never compensate for them. Let them flounder in the room, do not dumb things down or over explain and do not ask them if they understand or if it makes sense after you’ve said it. Assume they understand and make them do the work to learn or ask. Say things once, explain it right first time and then stop talking. Over time, you’ll see how much you know and how little others do. You’ll also reduce your labour and, rightfully, increase theirs or at the very least make sure they need to admit their lack of knowledge aloud.

But all this is simply lots of words to say, own your authority and don’t let anyone take it away from you.

And, of course, none of this circumvents the male privilege that women work against every day in all manner of guises but it is rather fun to stop making it so easy for them all the time 💅

Great book, I do think sometimes books like this can labour the point though. The argument was so well summarised and the evidence itself so clear cut and irrefutable in the first chapter alone. At that point, I was like okay what else needs to be said, this is FACT. From there on out it was just more nails in the coffin but essentially the same thing.

This is a book that is most likely to be read by women and it was just filled with stuff that you could say “yeah I know” to. The real question is how to make men read and action it?

[Didde Elnif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg var flere gange ved at kyle telefonen fra mig i hidsighed, da jeg gik og hørte bogen. Den er deprimerende på samme måde som Invisible Women. Bunker af undersøgelser og statistik, der peger på ulighed og bias.
Min eneste kritik af bogen er, at den bliver en smule opremsning, når man har læst nogle kapitler, men jeg synes opbygningen fungerer, blandt andet starter den med et kapitel, til de, der ikke er overbevidste om, at det her er et reelt problem. Og et kapitel, der foreslår løsninger. Egentlig synes jeg alle bør læse den, men du bør særligt læse den, hvis du har ledelsesansvar.
Danmark fremstår flere gange som "det gode eksempel" - og på nogle parametre, er det også sandt, men andre steder bliver det lidt frustrerende som dansker, fordi mønstrene stadig er så genkendelige. Og flere gange blev jeg oprigtigt berørt, fordi jeg fik øjnene op for steder i mit eget liv, hvor de The authority Gap har påvirket - og påvirker - mine muligheder i livet.

[David Gilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Covers so well a concise topic on how sexism exists in the modern day. It's one of those books that you can read and find yourself nodding along to because it explains something that makes complete sense, but you've maybe never thought of before.

I remember one point where it was talking about how women with expertise are shunned in media settings - i.e. how older men are allowed to present television shows much more frequently than older women are... and how this means that there is an additional artificial gap that is introduced. If we never get to see the most experienced / expert women talking on television - then that's going to massively add in to the already existing biases that we have about women having less authority than men.

Strongly recommend this book!

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book.

[Matsingersara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never related so much to a book as this one, almost every page I went like yeah... It was quite sad but also very powerful. It made me see that this feeling that I have been experiencing is something that is part of the system we are living in now and it happens to basically every woman. But that also means that it can change, and I truly believe that it can. So this book was another motivation to make a change in the world. I would highly recommend it!!

(Even though I did not fully agree with every single sentence in this book the overall message is so important)

[Clare Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, accessible and well written that consolidates existing research on the topic rather than making startling new claims or finds. A helpful checklist on what we can do at home, school and work is included

[Thiago Marzagão · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, those first few chapters. They should be required reading in any conversation about gender equality. They move the conversation from the anecdotal to the systematic. To quote but one data point: in the US Supreme Court women are 1/3 of the justices but they suffer 2/3 of all interruptions, 96% of them by men.

Those chapters changed how I view the gender imbalance in STEM careers. I used to think it was just a matter of different genders choosing to pursue different interests. But no. It's more complicated than that. Boys and girls are about equally good at math, but girls are much better than boys at reading, so "doing what you're best at" in relative terms (as opposed to absolute ones) can help explain the different career choices of men and women. I had never thought about the gender imbalance in STEM in terms of David Ricardo's theory of comparative advantages, but it makes total sense.

That's only part of the picture though. Sieghart reviews the literature on hiring biases and it was disturbing to learn that the same (fake) resume is much more hireable when it has a male-sounding name. This is not observational data, but experimental data: identical resumes, changing only the name. Hard to argue with that. Hiring practices need to change a lot.

After those first few chapters, sadly, it's all downhill. The book becomes less and less evidence-backed as the chapters go by. So, books written by men sell by a much higher price. Sure, but are men and women writing the same types of books? For instance, technical books are more expensive than novels; do we have a comparable number of men and women writing each genre? The issue is the pipeline (see above).

Then it gets worse. Sieghart speaks fondly of implicit association bias, which is as pseudoscience as homeopathy or chromotherapy. Measures of implicit association bias are meaningless: they have no construct validity and no predictive validity. In other words, they measure nothing and they predict nothing.

Then it gets really bad. Sieghart gets into "intersectionalism", which is just outright idiocy. There are infinite possible intersections: not just gender and race and sexuality and disability but also political orientation, food choices, regional accent, and so on. You can't arbitrarily pick some combinations of characteristics and declare that *they* are the ones that matter. To quote a female immigrant philosopher, “The smallest minority on earth is the individual.”

Finally, the words "evolutionary psychology" do not appear anywhere in the book. There should be a whole chapter dedicated to it. Evolutionary psychology helps explain a lot of different behaviors between men and women and - unlike intersectionalism or implicit bias - is an actual science, backed by peer-reviewed research. Here's a nice intro, by Professor Diana Fleischman.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth a read and very accessible and thought provoking - particularly for male readers!

[Dilek Sayedahmed, PhD · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Discrimination is multiplicative, not additive. I am Black times a woman everyday, not Black plus a woman, which implies you may be able to subtract an identity. This discrimination I felt was against me as a Black woman, not a woman who is black." — Dr. Sherree Wilson.

This is a key resource for our new project’s literature review. The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart is an exceptional work of research that stands as a must-read for anyone interested in creating a fairer society.

Some years ago, Mary Ann Sieghart found herself at a dinner seated next to a banker, who asked what she did. She listed her impressive portfolio career – political columnist, former associate editor of the Times, broadcaster, chair of a thinktank. “Wow, you’re a busy little girl!” he responded. She was 50.

Ann Sieghart's meticulously argued book delves into the pervasive issue of women being taken less seriously than men, offering an optimistic call to arms for combating this problem. Backed by an impressive wealth of research, including extensive academic studies and polling data, Sieghart thoroughly analyzes and deconstructs the underestimation of women's competence. She includes both quantitative and qualitative data, analysis, and results with:
- survey data
- focus group data
- interview data.

Sieghart's dedication to thoroughly researching this topic is evident, with the book's bibliography alone spanning 31 pages.

Sieghart goes beyond research and supplements her insights with firsthand accounts from influential women such as Hillary Clinton, Julia Gillard, Elaine Chao, Major General Sharon Nesmith, and Lady Hale. Their experiences shed light on the authority gap and provide valuable advice on how to address it effectively.

She illustrates the authority gap through numerous real-life examples, leaving readers disheartened by the belittlement, mockery, and undermining that successful women endure in both public and professional spheres. While the gender pay gap is a well-documented issue, the authority gap is more insidious and challenging to quantify due to the prevalence of unconscious bias. What makes it even more dismaying is the realization that women themselves can be complicit in perpetuating this bias, as it stems from ingrained cultural norms and familial influences.

The book dismantles the notion that women are inherently less suited to leadership or specific traditionally "male" careers, such as economics or STEM. Sieghart presents compelling evidence that girls consistently outperform boys in education until graduate degree levels, and there is no statistical difference in average IQ between the sexes. Any discouragement experienced by girls pursuing certain subjects or careers can be attributed to perceptions of discrimination resulting from social conditioning.

Sieghart digs deep into the roots of this social conditioning, revealing how early it begins in the classroom. Disturbingly, research shows that elementary and middle-school boys receive eight times as much attention from teachers, perpetuating the idea that boys should be assertive while girls are expected to be quiet and obedient. This disparity leads to the erosion of girls' confidence, ambition, and self-expression.

The breadth of Sieghart's research extends beyond the classroom, exploring the rise of online abuse as a means of silencing women. She also addresses the media's double standards in beauty and aging, which result in older women being marginalized despite their growing expertise. Additionally, the book highlights how bias against women intersects with prejudices based on class, race, and disability.

In the final chapter, aptly titled "No Need to Despair," Sieghart offers a ray of hope by outlining the changes needed at individual, organizational, and legislative levels to bridge the authority gap. She firmly believes that this goal can be achieved within one generation if there is a collective will to act. Many of the proposed solutions align with longstanding feminist campaigns, such as better representation and increased workplace transparency.

However, Sieghart also emphasizes the importance of personal actions, such as monitoring the language used with daughters and sons, as well as actively addressing instances where women are interrupted or ignored in meetings. She also urges men to read more books and engage with films by and about women, a simple yet impactful step towards exposing themselves to diverse perspectives.

To alleviate concerns some men may have about closing the authority gap, Sieghart presents research indicating that men in more gender-equal societies report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction in both their work and home lives. Furthermore, she highlights the profitability of gender-diverse companies and points out that female-led countries have demonstrated lower death rates during the pandemic.

The Authority Gap is an enlightening and thought-provoking book that shines a much-needed spotlight on the issue of women being taken less seriously than men. Mary Ann Sieghart's extensive research, combined with compelling personal accounts, offers a comprehensive understanding of the authority gap and its detrimental effects. The book leaves readers with a sense of optimism, providing tangible strategies to tackle this problem at various levels. It is a vital read for individuals seeking to contribute to a fairer and more equitable society.

[Katie Putz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Ann Sieghart's The Authority Gap: Why Women are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It.

Once at a conference I was standing with three men chatting when another walked up and asked me to take a picture of him with the other three -- as if I wasn't at the same conference as they were, as if I was just hired help, or mere decoration.

This book is excellent. Sieghart includes, as the final chapter, actionable advice for individuals, companies, parents, journalists, and governments. Ways we can all challenge our own biases, recognize how we contribute to the perpetuation of the authority gap and can start to course correct.

Recommended for everyone. For women, because you'll feel seen but also see how your own biases are at work too. And for men -- not because you doubt that this is the reality (though if you do, she has a chapter with the studies and empirical evidence of the existence of the gap) -- but because reading this on your own initiative means the women in your life don't have to explain these things to you.

[Isabela Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse é um livro que desperta sensações intensas, ainda mais se você é mulher. É deprimente ler 300 páginas que constatam que você não é louca e a vida é MUITO mais difícil para você. É estranho perceber que situações que você passou e achou que era coisa da sua cabeça ou que foi só com você são comuns. Assim como passar a perceber situações que antes não percebia...
Ao mesmo tempo, é empoderador se ver munida de tantas informações, dados e provas. Esse livro passou a ser minha base de dados e guia pessoal. No menor comentário ou sugestão machista, prepare-se para uma enxurrada de pesquisas!
Além de maravilhosamente bem escrito, o livro também encerra, ao meu ver, de forma perfeita, dando praticamente uma cartilha do que podemos fazer (cada esfera da sociedade) para mudar essa realidade machista em que vivemos.

[Leslie Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn on how to rate this: I'd probably give it 5 stars for male readers. I felt like the book was 90% just telling us women what we already know. All it did was make me angry. It's not until the last chapter where the author gives ideas on how to narrow the gap, but they are pretty broad things. I think this book could actually help narrow the gap if men were required to read it and understand how their attitudes and behaviors can help women get on a more even playing field. But, as the author tells us, men are alot less likely to read books written by women so...I guess we're back at square one.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though for me it covers ground I’ve seen in other books, it’s a great book and highlights many of the issues and problems we still haven’t managed to “fix”. In fact, I think the pandemic actually heightened some of the disparities even more. As white supremacy seems to be wedding itself to misogyny online (not that they weren’t always) as anyone who reads online comments has surely noticed, I don’t think this issue is going away anytime soon…. Maybe more like… it’s no longer bothering to hide in the shadows anymore.

[Bharathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that should be present in every office library for male leaders and colleagues. A fact and experimental evidence based book showing how systematic sexism is prevalent in almost every working field. The book exposes all the problems but also makes very good suggestions.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud with my husband and loved getting his perspective. I absolutely enjoyed this book even while raging against the injustices being pointed out. My husband seemingly enjoyed it as well. 

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow where do I begin? So insightful and at times, extremely frustrating. I really thought we had progressed far longer. Was made aware of some of my own biases as well and will learn from this!! This book should be on everyone’s reading-list!

[Emelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to anyone, this book brings up so many talking points and so much about reflection and how we can behave to minimize the gap in between men and women.