Women in leadership and IT roles in tech are more likely to experience sexual harassment

Recent stats show if you know four or more women in tech, chances are at least one of them has been sexually harassed at work. 

According to a survey by Comparably, a website providing data on workplace compensation and culture, of more than 5,000 U.S. workers in the tech industry, approximately 1 in 4 women responded that they have been sexually harassed at work. 

In contrast, 4% of men answered yes to the same question. 

The study also showed that female employees in executive roles experienced the most sexual harassment at work — with 33% of respondents saying they have, compared to just 6% of men in the same department. This was followed closely by the IT department, where 32% of women said they have been sexually harassed, compared to 5% of men. 

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The results are both disconcerting and unsurprising — as Mic previously reported, current and former Apple employees have voiced concerns about sexism and gender bias in the workplace. But this issue is pervasive throughout Silicon Valley, where women hold just 11% of executive positions. According to a report released earlier this year that looked at data from nearly 22,000 firms in 91 countries, half of the companies had no female top executives, and more than 95% didn't have a female CEO.

However, as the study also revealed, sexual harassment isn't limited to Silicon Valley: The most commonly cited location for sexual harassment at work was in Los Angeles. 

What's evident from the study is that women still face statistically higher rates of sexual harassment in the workplace than men, especially in executive and technical positions.