The culture of everyday sexism and gender inequality in the paramedicine profession: A qualitative study

Gender-based harassment is a pervasive issue in historically male-dominated professions like paramedicine. Despite reaching gender parity, women in paramedicine continue to face everyday sexism and workplace sexual harassment, resulting in psychological distress, career limitations, and underrepresentation in leadership roles. This qualitative study, informed by phenomenology, explored the lived experiences of registered paramedics in Australia who identified as women. The research aimed to examine not only the impact of everyday sexism and harassment on their career progression, wellbeing, and job performance, but also how individuals navigate such experiences. Furthermore, it sought to investigate how the organisational culture of paramedicine shapes and influences these experiences. Data were collected through surveys and in-depth interviews, providing nuanced insights into participants’ lived realities. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns related to the complex interplay between systemic sexism, personal coping strategies, and workplace culture. Consistent with prior research and government inquiries, the findings show that everyday sexism and workplace sexual harassment begin early in women's careers, persist throughout, and are tolerated by both colleagues and those in authority. Women were found to endure these behaviours due to fear of retaliation and a perceived lack of employer support. Workplace sexual harassment is as frequent as everyday sexism, highlighting its ubiquitous nature within paramedicine. A critical finding in this study is that the normalisation of sexism within Australian ambulance services fosters a tolerance of incidents among women employees and the belief that meaningful change is unattainable. The organisational culture of paramedicine plays a significant role in shaping women's experiences, often perpetuating systemic sexism through tacit acceptance and institutional inertia. Findings from this study identify that women navigate these challenges by employing strategies such as self-censorship, avoidance, or reliance on peer support, though these approaches may, at times, reinforce the status quo. This culture of tolerance and fear exacerbates power imbalances and fosters disengagement, undermining efforts to create equitable workplaces.