The workplace doesn’t take young women seriously—now they’re fighting back

The first time it happens, a boss may say in passing that you remind him of his daughter. Later, during a team-wide Zoom, a manager could call you “young lady” or “missy.” Then, as you gain more responsibility, a colleague might incorrectly assume that the man who reports to you is the one who is in charge.

Many assume that ageism—or unfair treatment based on a person’s age—predominantly impacts older women and men at work. In reality, it impacts younger women the most, according to our 2024 Women in the Workplace report.

“I found myself always trying to hide my age and it felt uncomfortable,” says 31-year-old Nicole Gartside Jenkins, a product marketer from Austin, Texas, who feels like she experienced ageism early on in her career. “I didn’t want people to think less of my abilities just because I was younger than them.”

Interviews with more than a dozen women in their early 30s or younger prove that no matter how it starts, ageism against women early in their careers can have a big impact.

"Young women are saying that [ageism] is leading to missed opportunities—whether it's promotions, raises, or other career-advancing opportunities,” I said recently in an interview with Forbes. “They feel like because of the way that they present or the way they look or just their age in general, they're having a harder time being taken seriously."