The Port of Seattle is confronting a perhaps less glaring but still quite pervasive problem in its relentless mission to foster workplace gender equality and inclusion: microaggression.

The term, coined by Harvard University psychiatrist Chester Pierce in 1970, refers to brief and frequent indignities that convey hostile or negative attitudes toward marginalized groups.

"I see all the time in meetings where women are interrupted and people speak over them,"
Bookda Gheisar, senior director of the port's office of equity, diversion and inclusion, told TradeWinds.

"Those are small issues but today we call them microaggressions that add up to a sense that women are not seen as leaders or equals."

The port has taken a proactive stance against this by requiring all managers to go through eight hours of equity training so that they know how to address any such incidents.

"Much of the time, people say they see it but it's so hard for them to know what to do and disrupt it to say this is not the place for these kinds of jokes or feel that we want to create in the workplace," she said.

Steve Metruck, Port of Seattle's executive director, founded the office of equity, diversion and inclusion soon after joining the port in 2018. Photo: Port of Seattle

The microaggression is not easily eradicated because it comes from a deep-seated culture of societal bias against women and minorities that has persisted for generations, she said.

There's a culture of belonging for men and white folks," Gheisar said.

"I think the culture has been one where people who come to the organisation who are not historically represented feel so uncomfortable.

"They feel left out, their voices are not heard, they know they are outsiders, they are not appreciated."

In some cases, women and minorities become victims of bullying and hate attacks in the workplace, she said.

"You have to work backward at the root of the culture about what does it take to actually build an organisation where women are welcome," she said.

Steve Metruck, the port's executive director, established the office of equity, diversion and inclusion soon after joining the port in 2018.

TAKING INITIATIVE

The Port of Seattle, which was founded in 1911 and employs 2,150 workers, oversees the US city's seaport and airport. It has several initiatives that are focused on bolstering equity, diversion and inclusion, such as a Maritime High School programme formed in partnership with Seattle's school district. It also offers internships and time at sea for high school and college students through a Youth Maritime Collaborative with industry partners. The port is also working with a dozen other ports on the US West Coast that will help promote gender diversity and inclusion in the sector.

Source: Port of Seattle

"One of the things that became obvious to me is that diversity is an important factor for businesses to succeed, but there's also an equity issue as well in order to do that," he told TradeWinds.

"It's a win-win for us. It's not one or the other."

He said creating workplace diversity and inclusion makes for an organisation that makes better decisions across the board.

"For me, it's also an issue of doing the right thing," he said.

He said forming an environment of inclusion and respect for all workers is essential to maintaining a diverse workforce.

"When people don't show respect and commit harassment, we take actions to address that," he said.

"Are we perfect in that? No but we strive for that and our values are that all people are treated with respect.

"It would be a failure to just say we need to recruit people into the maritime industry. That by itself would be a failed strategy, in my opinion."