(560) Mansplaining in the Workplace: Results from an Italian Survey

Introduction “Mansplaining” is the act by which a man explains something, usually to a woman, using a condescending tone in an oversimplified manner, without regard to his peer’s own expertise. Objective We aimed to assess the perception of mansplaining occurring in the workplace according to sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Methods An online survey was open through September 11 and 18, 2025. Participants were recruited online via social media, and were asked to report on their knowledge and perception of mansplaining in their workplace. Associations between mansplaining awareness, previous mansplaining events and relevant factors were analysed using χ2 test. Results 1123 people participated in the survey, among which 802 women and 321 men. Participants who were either workers or working students were the majority, although a significant difference by sex was found (women: 581/802, 72.44%; men: 275/321, 85.67%; p <0.001). A χ2 test revealed a statistically significant difference (p=0.002) in perceived mansplaining in the workplace, with a greater percentage of women (332/581, 57.1%) than men (125/275, 45.5%) reporting its presence. Among those reporting mansplaining in their workplace (n=457), women were slightly more likely to perceive it as a frequent occurrence (203/332, or 61.1%) compared to men (69/125, or 55.2%), although no statistically significant difference was found. While a high proportion of women reported its presence in the main survey (e.g., 57.1%), a separate finding showed a much lower reported incidence, limited to 14.8% of women (86/581) and 2.2% of men (6/275), with a significant higher prevalence in women (p <0.001). Among the 6 men who reported having been victim of mansplaining, 3 described themselves as homosexual. Conclusions These findings highlight a significant gender gap in the perception and experience of mansplaining in the workplace. Results confirm that women are disproportionately more likely to report the phenomenon than men. Furthermore, for both genders, once mansplaining is perceived, it is generally considered a frequent, rather than isolated, occurrence. The sharp contrast between the high prevalence reported in the primary finding and the much lower incidence in the separate analysis suggests that the term's definition and the subjective threshold for its identification are highly variable. Lastly, the overrepresentation of homosexual men among the few male respondents reporting mansplaining hints at the possible role of minority status and generalized power dynamics – beyond strictly biological sex – in shaping these condescending workplace interactions. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: MySecretCase s.r.l., Italy