Discrimination Against Women in the Workplace: Consequences & Solutions - Essay Sample

Introduction

Discrimination against women in the workplace juxtaposes an element of an employer treating female employees less favorable than males precisely because of the employees' gender. Women's perception at the workplace can be in the forms of withholding promotions based on gender, sexual harassment, according to different job settlements to women, and prevent women's participation in individual training opportunities (Finn). Such kind of discrimination against women in the workplace may result in low morale on women, reduced productivity, high employer turnover, and diminishing workplace revenue. Women have, for a long time, suffered from workplace inequality at the workplace despite the ongoing fluctuations of special norms concerning women treatment at the workplace and other contexts, thereby calling for the need to understand both explicit and overt ways in which women experience discrimination in the employment sectors. The big question is, what is the impact of gender discrimination among women at the workplace in a male-dominated society? Discrimination against women is, therefore, still being experienced in modern workplaces, making women be in a tug of war between their work and women womanhood as they are depicted as the minorities, which holds them back.

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Discussion on Women Discrimination at the Work Place

The problem of women discrimination at the workplace, albeit traditional, is a significant issue affecting women's positions in the workplace. It is for that reason that women are vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace. It is also worth mentioning that discrimination against women in the workplace is portrayed in the realms of career advancements and opportunities, unequal wage, childbirth and care, exclusion of women from old boys' clubs where vital decisions concerning serious issues are made, among others. Almost four out of ten women in the United States have faced discrimination in their jobs because of their gender (Parker& Funk). Such women report a vast array of personal experiences ranging from lower wages than their male counterparts in the same job done, sexual harassment, discriminations based on their appearances, their physical ability, pregnancy, and family. It is for such reasons that women are forced to prove their worth in the workplace, and they are entangled between professionalism and gender expectations. That subsequently results in a tug of war between their work and womanhood as they face a material wall in their advancements, making them lag than their male counterparts.

Forms of Women Discrimination at the Workplace

There are several ways in which women face gender discrimination at the workplace, with the primary forms of discrimination underscoring sexism, explicit bias, and sexual harassment and assault. Examples of women discrimination at the workplace include getting paid less than male employees in the same job, being passed over for promotion based on gender. There also exists prejudiced treatment in hiring and firing in an account of gender, and being subjected to derogatory language or slurs since they are female. Other forms of discrimination faced by women in the workplace are being paid less sick leave or denial of employee benefits, being referred by name, written up for behaviors that do not result in disciplinary when done by employees of another gender. Besides, women are subjected to unwanted sexual advances request for sexual favors, among others.

Other forms of discrimination on women in the workplace underscore physical ability, which underlies a woman's appearance of non-capability physical, she may not get promoted or hired for jobs requiring physical strength. Woman firefighter, for instance, may miss out on the opportunities for promotions following her weaker appearance hand her male counterparts. Similarly, women working in the warehouses may remain stagnated in their positions following the more intense jobs that require physical labor. That qualifies a form of women discrimination at the workplace following the employer's assumptions that are strictly based on gender without giving them opportunities for completion of endurance and complete strength tests.

Workplace discrimination on women can also be based on wages whereby women with the same entitlements as men, with equal levels of seniority and the same responsibilities, are paid less or discriminated. Following the research by the US Department of Labor regarding the wage gap, women's earning is 79% of men's earnings (Finn). Similarly, women discrimination in the workplace can be based on their appearance, whereby women become prone to bias based on their clothing and physical appearance. That is seen in the cases where an employer hires an attractive woman over other qualified candidates with the notion that the beautiful woman is likely to bring more sales. At the same time, an attractive woman may not be hired, citing the fear of the employer of sexual harassment lawsuit that is based on the number of males on the company.

Additionally, women discrimination in the workplace may be in the spheres of pregnancy and family. That may make a woman conceal pregnancy for fear of being passed over for a promotion following the twelve weeks leave under her entitlement son the provisions of Family and Medical Act. In the same way, a woman who is pregnant may be reluctant to disclose her condition during the interview, following the assumption that she may not work for long hours after her delivery. That results in caregiving discrimination. Consequently, in case a supervisor learns that a woman is a caregiver to an ailing parent, the supervisor may assume that the woman has divided attention in work that may result in poor performances.

Moreover, women also face sexual harassment at the workplace as a form of discrimination since women are not seen as contributing individuals, but rather as tools that can be used in selfish ways. One out of ten women are still threatened in the workplace for failure to accept sexual advances (Gaille). Sexual harassment may also be in the form of verbal or physical unsolicited behavior of any kind that interferes with their performances at work and creates a hostile environment for them. Finally, the societal norms and expectations may result in women discrimination at the workplace since women are expected to be homemakers and caregivers, leading to fewer opportunities for women.

Effects of Gender Discrimination on Women at the Work Place

Women discrimination at the workplace has resulted in psychological impacts ion the status of women who may resort to leave work leading to an increasing cycle of male domination. Also, the discrimination may result in decreased productivity in the workplace among women, low self-esteem, feelings of frustration paranoia, or anger. Additionally, the perception may lead to workplace conflicts, the tension between the women and their perpetrators, isolation from other coworkers, feelings of unsafe and fearful, and mental health issues as other may resort to substance abuse. It may also result in the stagnation of women following their material wall to advancement occupied by the males who want to assert their dominance on women.

Conclusion

Women have also been the minority in the male-dominated society, especially in the realms of work. That has resulted in women's dilemma between their professionalism and gender expectations in the community that depicts women as homemakers and caregivers. As a result of that, women have been in a tug of war between their work and womanhood. The forms of discrimination experienced by women in the workplace range from unequal wage with their male counterparts, being sidelined in vital decision makings, not being promoted as their male counterparts, opportunities based on their appearances, physical strengths, and family and pregnancies, besides sexual harassments. That has subsequently resulted in adverse effects on women who feel frustrated, insecure, stagnations, and poor job performances. Worse still, some women even resort to leave ng their jobs, thus fueling the cycle of male dominance.

Works Cited

Finn, Lisa. "Female Discrimination in the Work Place." Career Trend, Jul.2017,https://careertrend.com/female-discrimination-workplace-2736.html

Gaille, Brandon. "Discrimination Against Women Statistics." Brandon Gaille, May 2017,https://brandongaille.com/23-discrimination-against-women-in-the-workplace-statistics/

Parker, Kim, and Cury, Funk. "Gender Discrimination Comes in Many Forms in Today'sWorking Women." Pew Research Centre,Dec.2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2017/12/14/gender-discrimination-comes-in-many-forms-for-todays-workingwomen/