Visions on gender and aging in working men and women in Colombia

Abstract

This exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional research evaluated the reported levels of: benevolent and hostile sexism, stereotypes of aging, experiences of workplace and sexual harassment at work and ageism, in men and women of three age groups (18-30, 31- 45 and> 46), from a sample of the Colombian community. According to our findings, men exhibit significantly higher levels of sexism than women, although hostile sexism prevails over benevolent sexism in both. Participants older than 30 years reported more positive stereotypes of aging than younger ones. Young women reported more experiences of sexual harassment than men at work, while older women reported more experiences of workplace harassment. Regression analysis suggests that positive stereotypes of aging may have a protective role. Visions about gender and age impact differently on men and women of different ages.