You’re in a meeting. You share a point. Seconds later, a male colleague rephrases it—louder, with more authority—and the room responds like it’s a new idea.
Sound familiar?
This dynamic has a name: mansplaining. And it’s not just annoying—it’s a subtle form of exclusion that can damage team trust, undercut collaboration, and stall careers.
At Equal Time, we’re using AI to help make meetings more inclusive, one conversation at a time. And that starts with being able to identify behavior patterns like mansplaining in the first place.
🧠 What Is Mansplaining?
“Mansplaining” is when a man explains something to a woman (or someone he perceives to be less knowledgeable) in a condescending, dismissive, or overly simplistic way—often interrupting or talking over her in the process.
It’s not just what is said. It’s how it’s said—and to whom. Key signals often include:
- Interrupting or talking over someone mid-thought
- Re-explaining something that was already said
- Speaking with excessive authority in areas outside one’s expertise
- Ignoring or dismissing a contribution, then rephrasing it as their own
📊 What Mansplaining Looks Like in Meeting Data
At Equal Time, we’ve trained our AI to detect patterns of interruptions, dominant speech time, and patronizing rewordings within meetings. When we see repeated behaviors—like one person consistently overriding another speaker or “explaining back” what was just said—it often reflects deeper power imbalances.
Here’s what our AI might flag:
✅ A participant who talks significantly more than others in mixed-gender meetings
✅ A pattern of interjecting just after a woman speaks
✅ Language like “What she meant to say…” or “Actually, the real point is…”
✅ The same idea being restated by someone else—then receiving more praise or engagement
🤖 How Equal Time Helps
Equal Time’s Mansplaining Detector is a first-of-its-kind feature that uses natural language processing and meeting transcripts to flag possible instances of condescending behavior—without judgment, and with full context.
Our goal isn’t to shame or call people out. It’s to help teams:
- Recognize invisible patterns that hurt inclusion
- Reflect and adjust behaviors over time
- Create data-backed strategies for more equitable conversations
It’s a coaching tool, not a courtroom.
💡 What You Can Do as a Leader or Team Member
Even without AI, here are some ways to spot and stop mansplaining in your meetings:
- Listen for imbalance: Are certain voices always dominating?
- Watch reactions: Whose ideas get credit, and whose are ignored?
- Speak up as an ally: “I think [Name] made that point a moment ago—can we return to it?”
- Share the airtime: If you talk a lot, make space for others. If you’re quiet, prep questions to jump in.
- Review the data: Use Equal Time’s metrics to uncover patterns over time.
👂 Everyone Deserves to Be Heard
Mansplaining isn’t always intentional—but its impact is real. When voices are dismissed, repeated, or overshadowed, innovation and inclusion suffer.
With Equal Time, we’re making the invisible visible. We’re helping teams notice not just who speaks, but how we speak to one another—and how we can do better.
Want to see if it’s happening in your meetings?
👉 Try Equal Time for free and get instant insights into your team dynamics.