The Rights of Women against Discrimination

Gender equality is a general term which states all genders are able to access and enjoy equal opportunities, resources, benefits and rewards irrespective of their gender. Gender inequality has been a major topic of discussion in many countries such as United States, Australia, and several major European countries. Many countries have significantly advanced towards gender equality in the workforce in spite of the huge gender gap that is still prevalent in the workplace (Cha 78). Women have battled equality with men in work and other life aspects for more than ninety years. They have struggled to make educational and career advances but they still earn less and are easily eluded from workplace promotions (Childs 32). For instance, a constitutional amendment made in 1865 in America allowed African American men to vote, but women took more than fifty years to be allowed the same right. Gender inequality dominates all spheres of life starting from early childhood development especially in the American history. For example, women enjoyed few rights and were limited to educational opportunities because they were only allowed to attend few higher learning institutions. Early marriages mostly affected girls and in marriages, they were considered properties of their husbands and fathers. A system of court rulings have attempted to legitimize the rights of women against discrimination but there still exist some sexist behaviors that insist that women are not equal to their male counterparts in the working environment.

First and foremost, women are often regarded as properties of their husbands. They are often held responsible for all the household duties and child upbringing responsibilities (Desai 334). In interviews, the ability to work efficiently is questioned especially when a woman has a younger child because of the divided dedication towards their work and family responsibilities (Iyer, Aarti & Michelle 793) Because of that notion, women are therefore despised especially when hiring and employing qualified personnel in many organizations especially those that are technically oriented. Gender inequality therefore arises in the workplace because of the divided attention that women have between their family responsibilities and their career, thus make many employers think that they cannot meet the expectations in the work. Also, different genders are interested in different career fields thus making them become underrepresented in other professions (Iyer, Aarti & Michelle 798). For instance, ladies dominate education and health care professions but are less interested in technical and construction professions. When such job opportunities arise, few female applicants show interest thus male domination in such professions. Also, in the patriarchal society, women have more family responsibilities as compared to men, thus making them opt for jobs that would allow them a more flexible and accommodating balance between work and social life (Desai 347). For instance, many women do not have enough time to work as compared to their male counterparts because they are responsible for the upbringing of their children and they attend to their needs more than men. As a result, they earn less as compared to their male counterparts because they do not put much into their work as compared to men.

Secondly, women are more dominant in occupations that have a lower pay scale as compared to men. According to the statistical data, women are dominant in education, art and entertainment careers and those who work in scientific field such as health care mostly occupy lower positions such as nursing (Childs 28). They are not represented well in technical professions such as industrialization and construction which happen to offer larger salaries and benefits. On the other hand, men are believed to perform better in technical jobs such as fire-fighting and other technical oriented jobs (Iyer, Aarti & Michelle 798). There is a notion that men work better in such technical jobs thus drawing back women. As a result, women do not take up careers and jobs with higher salaries and benefits as compared to men.

Furthermore, there exist some stereotypes in the workplace which tend to place a better value on the patterns of employment form men. Some organizations prefer hiring male and favor them with regard to promotions and benefits (Childs 32). It is easier for a male employee to be promoted in the workplace than a female employee with the same working experience and qualifications. Such gender stereotypes are found in technical professions such as in industries and construction organizations. Managers and supervisors doubt the ability of ladies to perform better in higher ranks in such jobs due to their ability to multitask between their family responsibilities and work responsibilities. That explains why many women are bypassed when it comes to workplace promotions.

As a result, gender inequality leads to the reduction of workforce productivity in an organizational setup. When female employees experience discrimination in the workplace, they lose motivation and working morale that is needed to perform their duties effectively. Gender punitive jokes and other sensitive statements often demoralizes them when they make women feel inferior (Iyer, Aarti & Michelle 794). Also, some offensive gender biased jokes like those that tend to relate the work done by an employee to their gender often harasses female employees. Furthermore, gender inequality in promotions and wages discourage female employees when they are not entitled to equal or comparable salaries and benefits with their male counterparts when the do the same work value. Workplace gender harassment of employees by their superiors mostly affect women. For instance, male superiors tend to sexually harass their female subordinates such as secretaries in many ways ranging from sexual harassment to office bullying. Such practices are the main causative agents of organizational stress that reduces the productivity of a workforce in an organization.

Secondly, gender inequality results in stereotypical views regarding workplace promotions. Many superiors and supervisors pass people for promotions based on their gender (Cha 31). Supervisors often tend to pass over female employees when it comes to promotions because of the preconceived notions that they are able to efficiently execute their roles in higher ranks (Iyer, Aarti & Michelle 796). They doubt the efficiency of women working in higher ranks because of the increased duties and responsibilities. For instance, many technical jobs are men dominated and therefore the supervisors tend to pass over female workers when the employees are being selected for promotion because they have negative notions concerning their ability to perform better in these positions

In order to prevent gender inequality in the workplace, effectives measures need to be put in place to improve the working environment. Organizations should create an inclusive work environment in which both male and female employees to enjoy their working experience. Organizations should schedule diversity training for their employees and staff to train them on the advantages of gender diversity in the organization. The organization management should identify talents within its workforce and offer leadership programs irrespective of gender. Mentorship and coaching for strong and successful employees regardless of their gender is a good move toward the establishment of a flexible gender equal working environment. Organizations should strictly adhere to legislations that have been passed to enhance gender equality in workplaces. Such legislations include the provision of equal salaries and benefits for employees with the same work value irrespective of their gender.

Due to the examination of its history, causes, effects and the solutions, it is therefore clear that gender discrimination is still an issue that when proper strategies are put in place it is an act that can be eliminated from the society. On the other hand, it is clear that if no strict measures are put in place to try to eradicate the phenomenon it will still be an issue of concern that will bring major setbacks to different members of the society.

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