Which term describes the phenomenon when women reject stereotypes to appear tougher?

• A. Defeminization
• B. Quid pro quo harassment
• C. Critical-incident debriefing
• D. Sensitization training

Answer: (A)

Defeminization is the process where women consciously shed traits traditionally coded as feminine and adopt more masculine behaviors or appearances to project toughness and authority in male-dominated environments. This strategy helps signal competence and decisiveness by aligning with masculine-coded norms of toughness, making it easier for others to accept leadership from women who defy stereotyped gender roles. The other terms don’t describe this pattern: quid pro quo harassment is about exchanging sexual favors for work benefits, not changing gender presentation; critical-incident debriefing is a post-incident counseling/processing process; sensitization training is an educational approach to increase awareness of biases. So defeminization best captures the described phenomenon.