Overview
Introduction
Everyone wants judgment based on their standards at the workstation, achievements, talents, understanding, and determination. But is this the case? Gender inequality in the workplace entails mistreating one concerning their gender. Not only does this apply to employees but also to those applying for a job. The definition of gender discrimination is the uneven treatment based on gender. This treatment is different, unfair, and unequal (Ida Florianne Kersten).
There is various type of discrimination in the workplace. To mention a few, one can be mistreated due to sex, employment and leadership positions, remuneration and work-life balance, and company policies. Therefore, it is essential to determine what factors lead to these disparities between different genders in a workplace.
A study done in Ghana on women are slightly more than males (51 per cent) in terms of the country’s general population, thus forming a part of their human resource. However, it has been found that women are insufficiently represented in leadership posts and executive boards in most organisations where strategies and policies that directly affect women are made. It is reported that the percentage of females employees in leadership positions was decelerating as they climbed the occupational ladder. Women were at nine per cent in these top positions, while most organisations had never elected or employed women in those positions or the board of directors. Another study investigating women’s employment level, opportunities, and career progression in selected organisations revealed that women were lacking in the appointed managerial posts. (Akua Ahyia Adu-Oppong)
These studies show that although organisations run based on formal qualifications and merit, women are still underrepresented in top managerial positions despite the company policies aimed at motivating and increasing the involvement of women in leadership, the state of inequality has not changed a lot (Akua Ahyia Adu-Oppong).
Purpose of the study
This research aims to delineate the factors that influence the gender bias between men and women in the workplace and confirm whether preconceptions about gender inequality occur.
Justification
For a long time, the world has been trying to attain gender equality, and it is close to achieving this goal. However, the World Economic Forum approximates that it’s needed up to another one hundred years before gender equality reaches its required levels. (Soken-Huberty). The United Nations international standard for human rights law stipulates equal pay for a similar job. International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights states that despite gender differences, everyone is subjected to the same methods in determining remuneration rates, promotions, and employment (UN).
This research will help identify these gender bias factors, especially among women in the workplace. The findings will also help ensure that equality prevails among both genders, thus attaining the gender equality law stipulated in the United Nations Human Rights law.
Research Question
What are the factors influencing inequality between men and women in the workplace?
Unfair representation in terms of gender is evident in employment and promotion, remunerations and work and life balance, company policies, the commitment to empower women, and accountability in institutions, women mainly being negatively affected. The international community, together with governments, has been working on the issue of discrimination against women in the workplace (Ida Florianne Kersten).
LITERATURE REVIEW
Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which women and men are not treated equally (Wikipedia). This inequality has affected many people in many situations during their day-to-day lives. There are different factors contributing to gender unfairness in different categories or areas in an organisation in the workplace.
Leadership and workforce
Many factors affect gender balance in senior managerial positions and the workforce. Women are more susceptible to pulling out from permanent employment than men after pregnancy and baby delivery. Their career progress often gets stuck for those who return to work, thus reducing their chances of promotion. This lack of progress has resulted in fewer women in top positions such as Company Executive Officer (CEO) or even being part of the Supervisory and Management Board in many organisations in the United Kingdom (GOV.UK).
Another factor contributing to this unevenness is formal discrimination. This descriptive stereotype moulds thoughts, perceptions, and expectations about gender in the workplace. By adhering to such stereotype-consistent views on women, especially those applying for a job or a promotion, employers conclude that women are unlikely to acquire the skills necessary to prosper at male stereotyped gender jobs (Akua Ahyia Adu-Oppong).
In Mexico, the government has tabled various proposals to reform the country’s labour laws, such as the employer’s prohibition of requesting pregnancy tests as a hiring condition. Also, women are not supposed to resign due to pregnancy. The proposals will increase productivity due to an increased workforce resulting from greater employment access for women (Ida Florianne Kersten).
Additionally, most managers perceive women to be having fewer promotion prospects than men despite equal qualification levels. Managers are less likely to give promotions to women than men. The perception has resulted in men’s fast ascent into higher organisational hierarchies than women (Cailin S.Stamarski).
These researches have shown that whether the qualifications of both genders are the same, men are perceived to be having higher skills of performance and ability and are therefore at an advantage over women in getting employed, resulting in lesser women in the workforce.
- Equal compensation &work-life balance
Women’s progress at work continues to be restrained by huddles such as bias around remuneration and complicated work-life routines. There are tensions between balancing work with other home services and care and a shortage of freelance work with better pay potential. The introduction of transparent and certified processes in; minimum wage compliance despite gender (equal pay), parental leave (paid leave for both primary and secondary caregivers), and also flexible working options (working hours and work location) will considerably close these gender gaps (GOV.UK).
Though not much of a tangible factor, societal mindset still has a notable impact on gender inequality. The way society perceives the dissimilarity and importance of men versus women plays a significant role in every area, not excluding the employment sector. In many organisations, inherited beliefs say men are superior in handling specific jobs. A lot of these jobs are the ones that have a high wage. Due to such beliefs, women have had lower-income jobs compared to men. Apart from that, women also play the most part in being responsible for unpaid labour and at the same time participating in the paid workforce in many societies (Soken-Huberty)
Women who begin their careers earlier in their lives and later have children are most likely to have saved more money and thus afford childcare. On the other hand, some mothers are not taking maternity leave since they don’t have any other alternative source of income after delivery. Also, those mothers who have disabled children do not have the opportunity and time to take care of their children. Some women choose not to have children, especially those whose careers will be impacted by pregnancy and childbirth (Minix).
Around 40 per cent of women quit their jobs after they have children. To be able to convince them to stay parental leave policies that will lessen such burden to women might assist us in retaining female employees for a more extended period; this will not only increase the number of women to transition into leadership positions but also provides flexible work and life balance (Minix).
- Policies promoting gender equality
Programs and policies that are beneficial to women are also helpful to men. For instance, a training program on career development can be important for women in the workplace, especially in organisations where they are not adequately represented. Such initiatives can encourage coaching and help the organisation gather precious details, particulars, and knowledge from the women. This information is majorly their needs; what are the terms of career or work support? How is the office culture in the company affecting them? And other needs. Companies conscientious about women and their requirements should be making advancements in their support. Such programs can be an essential element in achieving gender equality in the workplace (Cynthia).
Evidence shows that some clusters of women go through more harassment than others. McKinney did the research in 2018 on ‘Lessons from Women Who Reached the C-Suite,’ Fifty-five per cent of women in senior managerial positions, 48 per cent of lesbian and 45 per cent of women in general and technical fields reported that they had been violated, abused, and sexually harassed (Allison Dubrow). In addition, a woman who often finds themselves the only one in a room is more at risk of experiencing violation, abuse, and sexual harassment than those who work with their fellow woman (Allison Dubrow); this also applies to those in lower positions in an organisation. Men have been found more frequently to be the culprits of sexual harassment, and this has been attributed to the fact that there are more men than women at the higher hierarchical positions in a company (Allison Dubrow). Progressive companies have policies requiring employees to sign consensual relationship agreements to curb this. The guidelines acknowledge interpersonal behaviours within colleagues and the possibility for relationships to begin, thus providing a mechanism that protects both employees. Nevertheless, it also teaches employees to handle their connections ethically and professionally (Cynthia).
Creating policies and awareness among women employees on their safety and good health at work is crucial. Overall, women get a lower standard of medical care than men, which is conjoined with other gender uneven reasons like lack of job opportunities and education, which eventually results in more women being poorer and hence cannot afford good healthcare. There is minimal research into conditions that affect women more than men: such as autoimmune conditions and chronic pain illness. They have also reported cases of prejudice and chauvinism acts by their healthcare providers, resulting in a wider gender gap in the quality of care (Soken-Huberty).
- Commitment, transparency & accountability
Companies need to commit themselves to develop strategies to ensure women are empowered. Annual auditing should also be conducted, and they should be very transparent to acknowledge women’s efforts and gauge them according to their merits rather than gender. Not all women are the same. Nevertheless, there is still gender inequality regarding how women are supposed to behave or not. Due to this, the employee should know the values and different qualities, and all women are expected to embrace them. Discrimination concerning the ability to access education and training, employment, and particular hobbies or occupations, not forgetting the terms of employment, should be discouraged through women empowerment and transparency policies among employers. Gender equality policies should be concrete and very specific. These policies should be continually examined and reviewed to ensure that they remain effective and appropriate in a constantly changing world (Organization)
METHODOLOGY
Research methodology refers to the procedures and techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyse information on a given topic.
For this study, we will employ a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A descriptive cross-sectional study design is where the condition and potentially related factors are measured at a specific point in time for a defined population. The research design is illustrative because it explains more about the reasons for aspects of inequality in the workplace. It helps collect information on behavioural variables.
A study population is an example of the target population from which the sample is selected. This study will focus on employers and employees in the selected organisations.
The sampling technique for this type of study is the purposive sampling technique. The most critical factor in establishing a sample size is the need to preserve the statistical robustness of the analysis while avoiding wastage of resources.
Purposive sampling will select the target respondent; the samples will be collected using a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire will consist of four sections, namely:
- Leadership and workforce.
- Equal compensation &work-life balance.
- Policies promoting gender equality.
- Commitment, transparency & accountability.
Its developers ascertained psychometric properties.
The questionnaires will be pre-tested for reliability and validity, whereby they will be presented to 10% of the sample size. Pretesting of the tool will take one day, and after, the necessary corrections will be done.
During data collection, the researchers will hand out questionnaires to individuals meeting the study criteria in the school and the hospital. Each researcher will explain the research to the participant and seek informed consent. The respondent who agrees to participate in the study will sign the consent form. Each participant will be issued with a single questionnaire that will be serialised to establish if there are any missing questionnaires.
Individual participants’ personal information will be protected by keeping their information confidential and allowing them to remain anonymous. Information will be collected in a private space where they are not observed, the data will be coded, and there will be no use of names or identification numbers. Files containing electric information will be password protected and encrypted. There will be documentation of consent to protect the participant from a breach of confidentiality. Researchers will be working to develop practical coping skills since the research process could be emotionally distressing. The researcher will also carry relevant equipment to the private room.
All questionnaires will be strictly checked for verification and disqualification of biased data. It will then be entered into the computer via the relevant program, and the data cleaned and coded for errors and inconsistency. The data will be analysed through descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequencies, and central tendency. The information obtained will be conveyed to the relevant authorities or subjects.
The participant’s information will be collected using a printed questionnaire and the documents stored in a locked cabinet. The faculty advisor will store the research data.
