Gender Discrimination in Workplace - Report Example

Gender & Sexual Studies Gender discrimination in workplace Introduction When a society or culture of a particular group of people appreciate or accepts that certain social roles, behaviors, and attributes are appropriate for men and women, then it is termed Gender. The traits that define men and women, which are mainly Biological and physiological define men and women are referred to as sex. Gender discrimination is therefore the unequal treatment based on their gender and it can take many forms both at home and in workplaces (Rafferty, 2013). Women are the most victims of gender discrimination at work as shown by many researchers, the major contributors include stereotyping, and organizational factors to greater percentages contribute to it (Wood, 2011). Protection of the rights of employees therefore is required to protect eliminate cases of women discrimination at workplaces. Several laws have been put in place to protect women against gender discrimination for instance, the UN Women developed “Women Empower Principles” to enhance women empowerment and curb the discrimination against them. The essay thus highlights various types and forms of women discrimination at work place due to their gender, empowering of women at workplace, and how disadvantageous it is to discriminate women at work Types of discrimination a. Direct discrimination A situation whereby an employee or a job seeker is denied an opportunity to be employed or is treated as of less qualified because of the person belonging to a particular gender or sex. For instance, when a company declines to employ a woman because of gender is a direct discrimination to that particular woman. Some women have been denied opportunities to work in companies even though they merit the job requirements and have good qualifications these companies are comfortable with male who have served for quite long. The skills that these women possess are not put into use to enhance company’s production. There is therefore a slow productivity in the company, underdevelopment is also escalated due to limited opportunities for the qualified women thus in the long run an increase in poverty is realized (García‐Izquierdo, Moscoso & Ramos‐Villagrasa, 2012). Conditions of work are another way of displaying discrimination to women employees. This happens in situation where a job description specifies a specific height or pound that is required but this cannot be merited by many women or a woman employee can be fired due to her conditions especially pregnancy though she is informed that there is cutback for employees due to low income and high production costs but men of lower ranks or of the same position are retained (Equal Rights Advocates, n.d.). Discrimination is also evident on payments and benefits the employees are entitled to for instance, when a woman gets promotion to be a senior chef in a hotel; the premise hires a male cook whose salary is the same as hers though the male cook holds a junior position. In terms of sick leaves, male workers get even up to seven months and an employee who is a woman is unable to get a leaf because of her pregnancy disability (Equal Rights Advocates, n.d.). The female employees at these premises become de-motivated and hence develop frequent absenteeism thus leading to a low productivity. b. Indirect discrimination Some companies provide policies and practices that are aimed at denying particular gender equal opportunities though these practices are to be applied to all workers. An example is a situation where a company seeks to employ those who are muscular and are of six feet in height (García‐Izquierdo, Moscoso & Ramos‐Villagrasa, 2012). Inclusion of women employees leads to diverse ideas that are implemented towards a common goal thus this boosts company’s returns and the overall improvement in production. Such great personnel are lacked in a discriminative setup hence a dwindling growth in economy results in the long run. c. Harassment at workplace Some employers portray behaviors that violate women’s dignity at work; the behaviors also cause intimidation, humiliation, embarrassment and degradation thus make the women employees look inferior. For example, some bosses always sexually touch their female secretaries while at work and even threaten to fire them if they decline to their expression. A fearful atmosphere is thus created which leads to discomfort by the women; a result of lower productivity is evitable due to confusion and pressure of work. These female workers even fear that they are at risk of losing their jobs (Equal Rights Advocates, n.d.). Harassment can also result into gender stereotyping especially where male workers dominate, women might be undermined due to their nature which might be not good to male their male counterparts for instance aggressiveness, attires thus they can be portrayed as lacking feminine behaviors. In the event of evaluation such women score low even when they work harder than their male counterparts in the company thus lowers their morale (Equal Rights Advocates, n.d.). These women employees might end up resigning or seek for employment somewhere else. The company therefore register higher turnover on employees, a loss of time, money and other resources that would have been used to farther develop the company is incurred. Ways of empowering women at workplace Most women bear the greatest responsibility in taking care of their family to meet the basic needs though they are denied resources, information, and even freedom to do all they are capable of in their families. Various studies have shown the extent of progress by women who are empowered; their children go to school, the agricultural productivity improves thus an increase in income is realized. This improves even a community as a whole (Rafferty, 2013). The essay describes some of the ways through which women are empowered at workplaces, which include; 1. Establishment of leadership for gender equality at workplace Women should be given opportunity to be leaders in companies and even in the community and should also act as mentors to the children since they are closer to the children. Companies should enlighten the community about benefits of educating a woman and should further include them in their campaign against gender discrimination. They should promote gender equity and equality and recognize the efforts toward development made by women in order to realize improved production (Ceci & Williams, 2011). When government as a whole and even community strive to invest in women, they eleviate poverty and even create a better way of developing in terms of education and infrastructure. Through democratization and good governance, the women should have an equal voice just like men in institutions, private sectors, and even civil service. These women should also participate in public dialogue and should have a say in decision-making processes that influence the current and future expectations of a company. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as other stakeholders (Ceci & Williams, 2011) has enhanced this support. 2. Promotion of gender equality Research shows that companies who focus on women empowerment register higher business benefits in terms of increased profits and growth in their investments. The United Nations, UN Women therefore, recommends that countries should use the “Women Empowerment Principles” and managers to include these in evaluating performance (Ceci & Williams, 2011). 3. Equal opportunity A research done by the University of California, Santa Barbara suggested that women when are involved in decision making in organizations allow for diversity in decision-making, thus a higher revenue is realized. These women therefore should be entitled to equal compensations, given equal and similar promotions, training, and even experience as provided to their male counterparts. The gender equality should therefore be done in recruitment, management and even in management boards (De Mel, McKenzie & Woodruff, 2009). 4. Education and on job training Educated women add value to the economy of a country as realized in China for the past ten years. A company that supports education and training of women realize a boost in the overall returns, thus increased investment. Thus, UN Women recommends an education and training of women in companies (Datta & Gailey, 2012). 5. Promotion of community leadership roles for women Initiating leadership workshops at work for women ensures that they are equipped with skills that enable them manage their household, and since they are agents that are directly affected by hunger in a community, they can assist in eradication of house and village hunger (Hutchens, 2010). 6. Provision of benefits and loans to the women for their development projects Financial base is a starting point to a development, thus when women are provided with finance they can enhance their skills in training, increasing their businesses as well as enable them educate their children hence an improvement in the whole community (Hutchens, 2010). Disadvantages of gender discrimination against women in a company Discrimination against women employees based on gender at workplaces impacts in economic performance of a company in negative ways as follows; 1. Recruitment and retention of workers Companies which hire employees based on gender discrimination criteria and traits like gender identity, encounter losses due to unqualified workforce thus a decrease in production is realized. This is because skills and abilities that a woman employee might have possessed are put in to waste (Crosby Burns, 2012). Companies that retain highly skilled workers always prosper due to stable financial base. Women just as other male employees can also possess these skills. A scenario where women employees are discriminated leads to high turnover employees especially the women and to find such highly skilled personnel is havoc. The company thus loses time, money and other resources that could otherwise be diverted for expansion (Datta & Gailey, 2012). 2. Job performance and general productivity Individual performance at work place is enhanced by a stress free mind an employee possesses. Employees who are discriminated especially women are stressful thus are not committed to work thus performance of their work is ineffective; they become de-motivated and hence develop frequent absenteeism thus leading to a low productivity ( Crosby Burns, 2012). 3. Poor marketing to customers Customers who are discriminated in terms of gender choose to do business elsewhere, the business therefore lose customers thus low return is realized (Crosby Burns, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, discrimination has been a major problem home and even in governmental structures especially against women. Awareness on discrimination based on gender differences especially women at work have been addressed worldwide. The UN as well as UN Women also advocate on discrimination based on gender thus a progress to curb this issue has been at stake by the introduction of “Women Empowerment Principles”. Several lawsuits and Act have been stipulated for instance, Federal Law against sex discrimination in the work place, the California State Law: The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender and sex in employment. People must therefore, recognize that women equally have rights, freedom and are also entitled to benefits of good remuneration, leadership and decision making matters that concern improvement of company or society at large. Lists of first pages of articles 1. Empowering women and men to end their own hunger Subscribe to our E-newsletter! Skip to Content Primary links Home Who We Are What We Do Where We Work Learn More Get Involved Top of Form Bottom of Form Home › Issues: Gender Discrimination Issues: Gender Discrimination 2. Sex discrimination: your rights at work New law in force The Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. Some of the information on this page may be out of date. What is the Equality Act 2010? Read guidance based on the new law Women and men, including transsexual people, have the right not to be discriminated against at work because of their sex. This section gives information about this right from the worker’s point of view. For more information on employers’ responsibilities to avoid discrimination, see Information for employers For more information on other types of discrimination at work, see the Guidance for workers section. 3. What is sex discrimination at work? The law recognises four forms of discrimination: direct discrimination harassment indirect discrimination victimisation. Get Legal Help Donate Our Work Our Victories How You Can Help About ERA Blog 4. Sex Discrimination At Work Click to download a PDF of this Know Your Rights guide. What is Sex Discrimination? For sex discrimination to be illegal, it has to involve different treatment that negatively affects the terms or conditions of employment. Unlawful sex discrimination occurs when an employer treats an applicant or employee differently and less favorably because of his or her sex or gender1 or because the person is affiliated with an organization or group that is associated with a particular sex. Sex discrimination includes treating an employee or an applicant differently based on sex stereotypes or because he or she does not conform to traditional notions of femininity or masculinity. Sex discrimination also includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment may also include offensive remarks made about women or men in general. For sex discrimination to be illegal, it has to involve different treatment that negatively affects the “terms or conditions of employment.” “Terms or conditions of employment” include things like your employment status (being hired or fired); your job position or duties; your work schedule, shift, or job location; your pay rate or salary; and advancement and training opportunities. Helping Californians find legal aid & self-help resources About Us Site Help Feedback Survey Find Legal Information Find a Lawyer or Court Program Top of Form Search Bottom of Form Home>Work>Return to Results ShareEmailPrint Friendly 5. Equal Rights Advocates http://www.equalrights.org/ Who We Are Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) is a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women and girls. Through its campaign approach—incorporating public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation—ERA seeks to assist women and girls throughout a life-long continuum: ensuring equality in their educational experience, combating sex discrimination in the workforce, and advocating for workplaces hospitable to working families.  Documents It is helpful to have notes, including approximate dates, about what happened at work or in school. It is also helpful to have copies of any complaints or grievances filed. Information ERA’s Advice & Counseling line helps people understand their legal rights and provides referrals where appropriate. Calls with an ERA counselor usually take 30-60 minutes and are kept confidential. Voice messages can be left on the line any time, and calls will typically be returned within one week 6. International Dimensions of Discrimination and Violence against Girls: A Human Rights Perspective Yvonne Rafferty Abstract In many cultures, being born female can consign the girl child to the peripheries of society where her safety is denied and her human rights are routinely violated. At each and every stage of development, girls are more likely than boys to confront a host of disadvantages associated with discrimination and violence, although the social norms and cultural rules that influence girls are most intensely felt as she struggles to develop into adulthood. At the onset of puberty, or even before, some girls are pulled out of school and forced into early marriage and high-risk pregnancy. Others become victims of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and dowry-related violence, or are murdered in the name of honor. Countless numbers are forced into exploitative labor as a means of survival, or trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, while discriminatory inheritance laws and practices condemn many to poverty. Addressing discrimination and violence faced by girls across the globe, and ensuring their access to the same basic opportunities as boys, is crucial to their development and to the realization of their human rights. This paper provides an overview of the international harmful traditional or cultural practices and gender-based social and cultural norms that perpetuate the lower status accorded to girls in the family, the community and society. Recommendations for social policy are presented. Note on the Author Yvonne Rafferty is Professor of Psychology, Pace University, N.Y. with a joint appointment in Women’s and Gender Studies. Dr.Rafferty represents SPSSI (The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues) at the United Nations and is particularly active with two committees: (1) NGO Committee on UNICEF: Working Group on Girls; and (b) NGO Committee on Child Rights. She has just completed a manuscript entitled International Dimensions of Discrimination and Violence against Girls: A Human Rights Perspective. Recommended Citation Rafferty, Yvonne (2013). International Dimensions of Discrimination and Violence against Girls: A Human Rights Perspective. Journal of International Womens Studies, 14(1), 1-23. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol14/iss1/1 7. Empowering women through fair trade? Lessons from Asia Author/s (editor/s):  Hutchens, Anna Publication year:  2010 Journal name:  Third World Quarterly Cite this publication as:  Hutchens, Anna, 2010, Empowering women through fair trade? Lessons from Asia, Third World Quarterly, 31, 3, 449-467 8. Reactions to the Fairness of Promotion Methods: Procedural Justice and Job Satisfaction Antonio León García-Izquierdo University of Oviedo Silvia Moscoso Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Pedro J. Ramos‐Villagrasa affiliation not provided to SSRN December 2012 International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Vol. 20, Issue 4, pp. 394-403, 2012 Abstract:      Fairness in promotions is a core issue for organizations as it is directly related to some of the most important organizational outcomes. However, the majority of the existing research about this question has been focused on entry‐level selection, and there is a gap in knowledge in the context of promotions. This paper focuses on how workers’ perceptions of promotion systems affect organizational justice and job satisfaction. In the present study, 213 employees and supervisors from 31 different private sector organizations complete a survey regarding procedural justice (PJ), job satisfaction, transparency, promotion systems, and some demographic variables. The results show that participants who perceived organizational promotion methods as transparent reported a high level of perceived PJ, and that the methods they see as fairer are those based on assessment of performance. In addition, transparency is considered as an important antecedent of PJ. Moreover, the interaction between organizational rank and gender moderates the relationship between transparency and promotion systems with PJ. Finally, organizational justice is strongly related with job satisfaction. Number of Pages in PDF File: 10 Accepted Paper Series Date posted: November 21, 2012   9. Are Women More Credit Constrained? Experimental Evidence on Gender and Microenterprise Returns Contents: Author info Abstract Bibliographic info Download info Related research References Citations Lists Statistics Corrections Author Info Suresh de Mel David McKenzie Christopher Woodruff Registered author(s): Suresh de Mel David McKenzie Christopher Woodruff Abstract We report on a field experiment providing random grants to microenterprise owners. The grants generated large profit increases for male owners but not for female owners. We show that the gender gap does not simply mask differences in ability, risk aversion, entrepreneurial attitudes, or differences in reporting behavior, but there is some evidence that the gender gap is larger in female-dominated industries. The data are not consistent with a unitary household model, and imply an inefficiency of resource allocation within households. We show evidence that this inefficiency is reduced in more cooperative households. (JEL D13, D14, J16, L25, L26, O12, O16) 10. The Costly Business of Discrimination The Economic Costs of Discrimination and the Financial Benefits of Gay and Transgender Equality in the Workplace SOURCE: iStockphoto Employers who discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity put themselves at a competitive disadvantage to companies that treat their gay and transgender employees fairly and equally on the job. By Crosby Burns | March 22, 2012 Reference Ceci, S. J., & Williams, W. M. (2011). Understanding current causes of womens underrepresentation in science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(8), 3157-3162. Crosby Burns (2012) The economic costs of discrimination and the financial benefits of gay and transgender equality in the workplace, The costly Business of Discrimination, retrieved on 9th April 2014 from < http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/report/2012/03/22/11234/the-costly-business-of-discrimination/> Datta, P. B., & Gailey, R. (2012). Empowering women through social entrepreneurship: Case study of a womens cooperative in India. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 36(3), 569-587. De Mel, S., McKenzie, D., & Woodruff, C. (2009). Are women more credit constrained? Experimental evidence on gender and microenterprise returns. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1-32. Equal Rights Advocates( n.d.). Sex discrimination at work. Fighting for Women’s Equality, retrieved on 9th April 2014 from < http://www.equalrights.org/legal-help/know-your-rights/sex-discrimination-at-work/> García‐Izquierdo, A. L., Moscoso, S., & Ramos‐Villagrasa, P. J. (2012). Reactions to the Fairness of Promotion Methods: Procedural justice and job satisfaction. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 20(4), 394-403. Hutchens, A. (2010). Empowering women through fair trade? Lessons from Asia. Third World Quarterly, 31(3), 449-467. Rafferty, Y. (2013). International dimensions of discrimination and violence against girls: A human rights perspective. Journal of International Womens Studies, 14(1). Wood, J. T. (2011). Gendered lives. Cengage Learning. Read More