What types of inequalities do women face at work? How to fight this form
of injustice and discrimination at work? Can we one day hope for professional
equality between the two genders?
According to Drew Gilpin Faust, the President of Harvard University: “I'm not the woman president of Harvard, I'm the president of Harvard”. This statement shows that the author does not want to be categorized as gendered, even if it is a position of high responsibility.
A long-standing global issue
For many years, the idea of gender equality has been called
into question. This article will focus on the situation in the United States,
however, it is a global issue. In the United States, women represent around 50% of the population and about 47% of the total labor force in 2021. Despite
these significant figures, women remain underestimated and underrepresented in
the professional world. For decades, they have had to face inequalities
of gender. In 2017, 42% of working
women declared they had experienced some form of discrimination based on their
gender at work, compared to 22% of
men who said they had experienced this.
First of all, the inequality that stands out the most is the pay gap between the two genders for the
same position. According to a Pew
Research Center report, in 2020, women working full time earned about 84% of what men earned. Based on this
analysis, women would have to work an additional 42 days to reach a man's
salary.
Moreover, many women experience sexual
harassment at work. In the United States, according to a study,
approximately 34% of working women
have been subjected to sexual harassment. This harassment causes a lack
of confidence as well as physical and moral trauma, besides challenging women’s
mental health.
An optimistic vision of the future?
The year 2020 was a decisive period due in particular to the health
crisis and the increase in racial violence. It was a year of awareness for many
companies, particularly on issues of diversity, inclusion and equity within
companies. In view of the events, companies have reviewed their priorities and
have decided to focus on the well-being of employees, especially women and women
of color.
According to the Women in
Workplace study, the largest study on the state of women in corporate
America, the representation of women in business has increased which is encouraging.
They are increasingly able to find a place for themselves, especially in
decision-making and highly qualified positions.
Moreover, it has been shown that women in business are an important
vector for productivity. In other words, the more women they are, the more
sustainable a company's activity becomes. The presence of women in business
forecasts better work satisfaction, an organized structure and a decrease
in burnout.
What solutions?
Even if, little by little, the presence of women in business has
increased in recent years, it remains quite slow and little recognized. Businesses
must play a key role in changing this situation. As a first step, they must
take an interest in and take responsibility for issues of diversity, equity and
inclusion. Why not implement measures to ensure that women, whatever their skin
color, feel satisfied and safe within the company? Furthermore, companies must
offer the same opportunities and promotions to men and women. Normalizing
female leadership is also an essential measure.
Unfortunately, this is a major challenge that will take years to solve. However, companies can change the situation by setting up these measures.
Jes Osrow, an HR professional specializing in diversity and inclusion,
declared: “Gender discrimination will
continue to happen without ongoing work to build policies, practices, and legal
repercussions for when it does happen. Without an ongoing collaborative
presence by all women (not just some women), rights in the workplace will be
repressed”. Close cooperation between all women is necessary.
Célia P.
663 words
References
Women in the Workplace: What
Women Want & How to Retain Them. (2021, 22 juin). CCL.
https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/7-reasons-want-women-workplace/
Lazic, M. (2021, août 12). 28 Shocking Women
in the Workplace Statistics [2021 Data]. What To Become.
https://whattobecome.com/blog/women-in-the-workplace-statistics/
The State of Women in the
Workplace 2021. (2021). Lorman.
https://www.lorman.com/blog/post/women-in-the-workplace-2021
Barroso, A., & Brown, A. (2021, 25 mai). Gender
pay gap in U.S. held steady in 2020. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/25/gender-pay-gap-facts/
Gender inequality in the
workplace: The fight against bias. (2021). BetterUp.
https://www.betterup.com/blog/gender-inequality-in-the-work-place
Hello Celia!
ReplyDeleteYour article is really interesting. We have been seeing for a few years now and as you say in your article, a greater presence of women in companies and high positions on the one hand, and on the other hand, an increase in sexist remarks and behaviors. According to you, even if there is still a long way to go in the minds of some people, to what is the valorization of women in the workplace due in the last years?
Victoria S.
Thank you for the relevant comment, Victoria. I think the world and mentalities have changed. Perhaps their valorization is due to an awareness on the part of certain companies or institutions. In addition, I believe that the struggle that women carry out every day has paid off. But as you say, it's encouraging but there is still a long way to go!
DeleteCélia P.
Hello, Celia. It is nice of you to talk about women's living environment in the work place. Actually the Me Too movement started there in the beginning in the United States and is now developing all over the world. Since every woman has her own story of this or that, either sexual harassment or their wages lower than those of men. Gradually, women seem to gain the same power as men. We see that in the United States where feminism prevails, man’s behavior may be over-interpreted sometimes. So my question is: do you think at some point we are too rational to be rational? Will this day be coming where women and men don't need each any more because it seems that's where we are heading now around the world.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very interesting remarks, however, I find it difficult to understand your two questions. It is a very in-depth questioning and unfortunately, I did not go so far. I have only commented on certain figures which show the reality.
DeleteCélia P.