Women Disclosing Experiences of Sexism to Men Partners: Prevalence, Predictors, and Responses

Although sexism is pervasive, the dynamics of disclosing such experiences within romantic relationships remain under-examined. Across two studies (N = 1076) involving individuals in woman-man relationships, we found that approximately 75% of women have disclosed an experience of sexism to their men partners. Notably, a general tendency toward disclosure-rather than relationship satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness, or sexist attitudes-predicted disclosure. Women who recalled their partner as more responsive and autonomy-supportive when they shared an experience of sexism reported greater closeness, satisfaction with partner's response, and a greater likelihood of future disclosure and confrontation of sexism (Study 1). For men, greater self-reported responsiveness and autonomy support was associated with greater felt closeness, perceived partner satisfaction, and allyship behavior; but was not linked to a greater awareness of gender discrimination (Study 2). Findings highlight romantic relationships as a key, underexamined context in which experiences of sexism are discussed.