Microaggressions : are subtle, often unintentional actions, comments or environments that reinforce stereotypes and lead to "everyday exclusions," making people feel unwelcome because of their identity, like race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or socioeconomic status.
Examples include:
- A person of Asian descent being complimented by a colleague who says, "Your English is so good!"
- A woman in a professional setting being told by a male colleague, "You’re very assertive for a woman"
- During a team meeting, a colleague says to a person with a hearing impairment, "Never mind, it’s not important," after being asked to repeat what was said.
Microaggressions may seem minor, but their impact can be significant. They can cause confusion or discomfort in the moment, but over time, their cumulative effect can cause harm to health and wellbeing.
The term “micro” refers to how subtle the behaviour is, not its impact. Repeated microaggressions can make people feel excluded or like they don’t belong, damaging their confidence and self-esteem.