Discrimination and Fair Treatment of Women in the Workplaces - Paper Example

Introduction

Sexism is the act of forming biased opinions about a particular gender without proper justification. Sexism is often a result of stereotyping which is the false beliefs held by the society about a specific social group (Rickabaugh, 2018). These beliefs shape the societal expectations of different groups and therefore give rise to gender roles (Rickabaugh, 2018). Gender roles are the societal expectations of what a particular gender is allowed or not allowed to do. Sexism over the years has been institutionalized and has given birth to a patriarchal system where men get undeserved advantages over women (Lewis, 2018). Sexism, therefore, gives birth to gender inequality where men are considered superior to women. Despite recent breakthroughs in achieving gender equality, there are still significant gender bias problems faced by women especially in the workplace

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Is there a Link between Sexism and Gender Inequality?

Illustration of the contribution of sexism towards gender inequality emerges when subdividing sexism into; institutional sexism, cultural sexism, and interpersonal sexism (Lewis, 2018). Interpersonal sexism refers to the interaction of individuals which devalues women. For example, a man may prefer being led by a fellow man in the workplace for positions such as manager or supervisors. He may believe that male figures are synonymous with competence and leadership skills. Such beliefs may even be adopted by women which gives rise to internalized sexism (Lewis, 2018).

On the other hand, institutional sexism refers to the established norms and practices which may deny women equal opportunity. This type of sexism includes some recently abolished laws such as denying women the chance to vote. Institutional sexism can be witnessed in the workplace when the organization comes up with policies on maternal leave that disadvantage women such as lack of paid leave. Another form of sexism that affects gender equality in the workplace is cultural sexism. This form of sexism is characterized by objectifying women and viewing them as mere means of pleasure for men. Many modern independent women have continuously been subjected to cultural sexism especially when they specialize in male-dominated positions such as STEM. Sexism is the cause of gender inequality in the workplace as it shapes men's perception of women.

There are several manifestations of gender inequality in the workplace as a result of sexism. Women are still the primary caregivers, and it is logical that most women cannot spend as much time out of the stipulated mandatory work hours in the office as most men. However, most organizations still use systems that depend on the number of work hours as a criterion for job promotion such as face time (Stamarski & Hing, 2015). This example is inequality brought about by institutional sexism. Furthermore, a study in 2013 showed that managers give most training opportunities and challenging work to men and do not prefer women for such (Stamarski & Hing, 2015). The scenario is individual sexism of the managers resulting in gender bias against women.

Moreover, studies show that women in the STEM come out as less competent than women in beauty pageants or similar jobs (Stamarski & Hing, 2015). The situation has led to the consideration of women mostly for jobs that are dependent on physical appearance. This type of inequality is a direct result of cultural sexism.

How does Society Gender Roles Play a Part in Home and Work Life?

Society gender roles greatly influence the job selection and tasks in the workplace as much as responsibilities at home. The society generally views the role of women as nurturing and caregiving. Therefore, jobs and functions such as nursing are traditionally considered women's careers. Men, on the other hand, are biasedly viewed as leaders and decision makers; therefore, most leadership positions go to the men. Moreover, the patriarchal society expects women to give up job opportunities in favour of family and caregiving. Most household chores are wrongly considered the woman's responsibility while men are expected to provide for, lead, and protect the household. Gender roles are a noose on the modern woman's neck. This assertion is because most gender roles suppress women while they uplift men. Studies show that despite more women participating in STEM-related fields, they are offered fewer jobs and are forced to play second fiddle to their male counterparts (Waaijer, Sonneveld, Buitendijk, Bochove, & Weijden, 2016).

Further, studies indicate that women often get punished at work for failing to conform to gender roles or stereotypes (Triana, 2010). It has also emerged that despite the rise of the female workforce to 47%, childcare is still majorly provided by mothers (Fischer, 2012). Gender roles are still a vital determinant of the responsibilities at the workplace and at home albeit unfairly so. Gender roles determine acceptable behaviour and career opportunities in the workplace. Women who were least likely to be employed according to a report were those who were pregnant and those who were aggressive and competitive (Stamarski & Hing, 2015). A psychological evaluation revealed that the employability of these women was directly related to gender roles (Stamarski & Hing, 2015). Sexist view holds that women should be nurturers above all else. Women who were aggressive were less likely to get employment than men with similar qualities because they deviate from female expectation and threaten the patriarchal system.

Similarly, pregnant women were viewed as too nurturing and therefore not suitable for employment positions. Examination of the origin of these beliefs has pointed to social and biological origins (Fischer, 2012). In the days without modern technology, women would get pregnant and lack alternative means of caring for the baby other than doing it themselves. In comparison, men were able to stay away from home for more extended periods and therefore took up most jobs, and this scenario leads to the establishment of gender roles.

Roles of gender also significantly influences parental responsibilities at home. Most modern couples manage to share responsibilities equally until they get children. Research shows that even children feel that the mother rather than the father should stay home and provide care when needed (Fischer, 2012). Furthermore, men who choose to stay at home and take the role of caregiving experience discrimination. They come out as incompetent in both traditional male gender roles and at the tasks viewed as female roles (Fischer, 2012). Their fellow men feel they are unable to perform the masculine functions and therefore opt for feminine roles. Equally, both men and women think that men cannot be as good caregivers as women. There have been cases of banning of men from playgroups for children because of bias (Fischer, 2012). All the above phenomena are merely a response from a society that tries to box women into traditional gender roles.

How do you Combat Unacceptable Behavior in the Workplace?

The modern woman has to be pro-active rather than reactive in combating gender inequality and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace. Unacceptable workplace behaviour refers to actions that threaten the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of other workers. Women are most often on the receiving end of unacceptable workplace behaviour. An examination of a model organization showed that women feel more threatened than men at the workplace (Webster, Adams, Maranto, &Beehr, 2018). This observation is because men often engage in dirty politics to move up the organizational ladder and women who are less political get manipulated and intimidated.

Additionally, sexual advances in the workplace demean women and reduce them to objects of pleasure. Moreover, women are prone to workplace bullying with 71% attesting to this during a study in 2015 (Hollis, 2015). It is evident that women are the most aggrieved when it comes to unacceptable workplace behaviour. Therefore, women must make formal complaints and identify bullying in all its forms at the workplace.

Identification and labelling of unacceptable workplace behaviour directed at women are necessary to come up with policies that govern such behaviour. The process is, however, proving difficult as most slights against females at work are subtle and difficult to define. Despite this hindrance, incremental progress is made every day in determining workplace behaviours that discriminate against women. Women must continue to identify situations which put them at an unfair disadvantage in the workplace so that solutions may emerge for these scenarios. Because of lack of identification of practices such as bullying, women have been labelled as troublemakers in the past as the law was not clear on how to deal with some situations (Ginette, 2009). Therefore, it is pertinent to name unacceptable workplace practices to start the conversation towards a solution.

All victims of unacceptable workplace behaviour must make formal complaints to deal with the problem at its source. Failing to make a formal complaint may result in other people experiencing similar unfair behaviour. Therefore, victims must ensure that a claim is legal and documented so that organizations take appropriate action. Informal complaints are unlikely to yield positive results as they do not obligate the organization to look exhaustively into the issue. Formal charges may also lead to further discrimination of the said party but raising awareness will eventually lead to better conditions for other women.

Conclusion

Women have made tremendous improvements regarding seeking out gender equality and equal opportunities. However, the current state of events and systems is still significantly biased to favour the male gender. Sexism has given rise to more complicated problems for women in the twenty-first century. Gender bias is no longer shown plainly and has instead become subtle. This mode of inequality is harder to root out as it is difficult to define. Sexism and patriarchy have become so ingrained in the society that women are unconsciously influenced to participate in them through internalized sexism. The home and the workplace are the places where the most significant disparity between men and women emerge. Women must make more effort than men to realize equal achievement in both spheres. It is noteworthy that more women are taking a stand to protest against and abolish gender inequality. Women have not arrived at gender equality, the struggle continues.

References

Fischer, J. (2012). Gender role attitudes and characteristics of stay-at-home and employed fathers. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 13(1), 16-31.

Ginette, P. T. (2018). Naming workplace bullying: women workers speak out. Canadian Women's Health Network, 11(2). Retrieved from http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/41612

Hollis, L. P. (2015). Take the Bull by the Horns: a Structural approach to minimize workplace bullying for women in American higher education. Morgan state university. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED573979

Lewis, J. A. (2018). From Modern Sexism to Gender Microaggressions: Understanding Contemporary Forms of Sexism and Their Influence on Diverse Women. APA handbook of the psychology of women, 1, 381-397.

Rickabaugh, C. A. (2018). Sexism. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, 2013

Starmaker, C. S., & Hing, L. S. (2015). Gender inequalities in the workplace: the effects of organizational structures, processes, practices, and decision makers' sexism. Frontiers Psychology, 6. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4584998/