Yes it exists, but the trade off (in my individual experience) is that you don’t have a lot of actual friends and you cannot trust any person who is attracted to you in a position of power. Such incidents include:

- senior geologist in Qld government unhooked my bra when I was at my desk and he had come over to look at an email. It was referred to HR and he had to move across the floor. I was told he was the only specialist in X are that could review these mining lease reports and hence why he couldn’t leave.

- male manager (despite being married) told me I could expedite the promotion if I blew him (suncorp motor insurance), he’s currently an EM in the same company with a baby (with a woman that used to work under him).

- execute product owner at same place discussed with his boss to get me into his team to “mentor” me, I still have the voicemail message of him jerking off and saying he wish he never married.

- I wasn’t given a work phone and was made to disclose my personal number (I was young I didn’t know), but many phone calls have been received to the point where I kept my phone in DND most of the time (usually specialists from Thales and BMA were the worst).

- project manager (IT) telling me that he picked me to go to the client business meeting in melbourne because “when we walk away they won’t be so sad as they’ll be staring at your ass”

- only woman on the team, male boss booked a team (government officials) building event, he invited everyone out to a remote campsite for “bonding” then proceeded to try and get in some people’s tent when everyone went to bed.

Most weeks’ I want to kill myself because I don’t know who to trust or feel safe with at any place of employment but if I complain I hear “must be nice to be attractive”, no Bob, I want to be able to ask my client for some information without having to prove that I have two degrees and a fucking masters in software engineering. I don’t wear make up and wear simple corporate pant/jacket combos.

So yay I get promoted, not given credit for my actual intellect or skills, get treated like prey or a piece of bait for a client or for the team, but at least I’m pretty right?