For some U.S. Women, the results of last week’s election cast the future of their careers into doubt.
According to a poll of 750 professional women, more than three out of four said they feel gloomier about their career prospects after the election of Donald Trump. On the flip side, just 8% of women said they feel better about their work future post-election. The poll was conducted by InHerSight, a company that allows women to anonymously rate their employers. A random sample of the site’s users—the majority of whom are ages 25 to 34—took the poll via email on Nov. 11.
InHerSight also allowed women to leave anonymous comments about their response to the poll question. Between accusations of sexual assault (which Trump has denied) and repeated sexist comments, the president-elect’s treatment of women was a major issue in the campaign, and several respondents expressed concern that he does not respect women.
“Electing someone with the record of behavior toward women that the president-elect has, someone who would have been fired for harassment at any other job, will make the workplace and advancement into top tier positions even more challenging for women,” wrote one respondent. “Women who speak out will be met with retaliation and violence.”
Other women focused on Hillary Clinton’s loss, seeing it as a sign that the “highest, hardest” glass ceiling remains intact—and perhaps stronger than ever.
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The gulf in experience between Clinton and Trump rankled some respondents, who said that being passed over in favor of a less qualified man was something they had experienced in their own careers.
“[Clinton] made it far, but still lost to a man who is less qualified for the job,” wrote one woman. “This is what we go through everyday.”