Structural sexism, “it's just a coincidence” : An interview study on the silence at Swedish advertising agencies

Sammanfattning: Sweden has been named one of the most equal countries in the world and is a role model for many. Despite this, there are hierarchies within companies that favor white middle-aged men. This has raised questions about what gender equality actually looks like in practice. Several women in the advertising industry have spoken out in articles and books about the inequality in advertising agencies. Studies show how gender inequality in advertising agencies is based on a gender gap structure that keeps women out of management and ownership positions. This has opened the door to further investigation of the consequences of these structures. Therefore this research has analyzed the connection between silence and everyday sexism, by focusing on the consequences for media workers. Through semi-interviews, employees at four advertising agencies around Stockholm have shared their experiences in the workplace. This research shows that there is a clear structural sexism that bypasses several employees. It contributes both to women being silenced and to women choosing to remain silent. Sexism is embedded in the walls and the structure makes it difficult to achieve change despite the fact that people speak out. Instead, people in the advertising industry need to be more aware of the consequences of the structures for women and understand that different genders have different starting points.