Poison into Medicine: Workplace Mistreatment of Multi-Marginalized Women and the Refuge of Women-Centered Coworking Spaces

Abstract

Considerable time has passed since the height of the #MeToo movement in late 2017 and early 2018. Nevertheless, researchers, policymakers, educators, and practitioners must continue to mitigate harm for the most vulnerable groups of women, particularly in the workplace. The majority of literature on sexual harassment is overly-representative of the experiences of heterosexual, cisgender, and white women, despite evidence that queer women of color are at higher risk for sexual harassment due to their multiple marginalized identities. To address this gap and advance the research on sexual harassment at work, I conducted qualitative interviews with 13 multi-marginalized women. Moreover, I investigated the correlation between workplace harassment and the emergence of women-centered coworking spaces. Consequently, within this study, I explored two research questions: 1) How do intersectional forms of sexual harassment manifest in the lives of multi-marginalized women, with a specific focus on Black queer women? and 2) How do women-centered coworking spaces relate to multi-marginalized women’s experiences of and coping with intersectional forms of sexual harassment? To explore these questions, I conducted qualitative interviews with women from various women-centered coworking spaces in the United States. For my analysis, I utilized reflexive thematic analysis and employed an intersectional framework to examine intersectional forms of workplace mistreatment for multi-marginalized women. Furthermore, I incorporated a novel and critical analysis of women-centered coworking spaces. My first research question explores how intersectional forms of sexual harassment manifest in the lives of multi-marginalized women. The most commonly reported type of harassment among these participants was sexual advance harassment. Additionally, one participant described an instance of gender harassment, another reported heterosexist harassment, and one disclosed an experience of sexual assault. Participants did not share experiences of sexual harassment that reflected a convergence of racism, sexism, and homophobia. With my second research question, I investigated the association between experiences of sexual harassment at work and multi-marginalized women’s use of women-centered coworking spaces. I interpreted that for multi-marginalized women who have encountered sexual harassment and/or mistreatment in conventional workplaces, women-focused coworking spaces serve as a communal coping strategy and place of refuge. Ultimately, this research uplifts and amplifies the experiences of working women as a means to raise awareness and prevent further mistreatment. Insight from this study can guide us in reshaping how our organizations function, which can, in turn, impact society by fostering safe working environments that support both personal and professional growth.