...Workplace Inequality: Female Discrimination Over the last 60 years, women have seen their rights evolve and improve; however, many believe the separation between man and woman is still too great especially when it comes to discrimination in the workplace. Today, in the workplace, women face inequality in pay, ability to receive promotions, and ability to obtain a leadership or executive position. Women on average earn .77 to every $1 a man earns and face discrimination and are often overlooked for promotions. In addition, even successful women tend to hit a “glass ceiling” when it comes to receiving leadership roles and executive positions. Women in executive positions also, on average, earn less than men in comparable executive positions. While legislation has been put in place to eliminate workplace discrimination, many believe that it has not done enough and the inequality that exists is still too prevalent. Women saw their rights increase in 1964 when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Act is the most important piece of anti-discriminatory legislation in history, as it was a major starting point in ending discrimination. This Act ended discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, and gender and required equal access to employment with the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC regulates workplace discrimination and “Made it unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any...
Words: 2750 - Pages: 11
...(Olsen et al, 1990). From time in memorial gender inequality has been a prevalence social hitch and has largely been practiced towards women around the world effecting different aspects of their life. The aim of this essay is to discuss how gender inequalities have evolved in recent decades in the UK. To achieve this, I will commence by presenting a historical insight into gender inequality, identifying the roles and expectations of women and men in society during this period. I will then identify the different forms of inequalities experienced by the genders and how these inequalities have evolved in recent times. In order to fully understand the extent of these inequalities I will discuss the sociological perspectives on the social problem, looking at the works of earlier sociologists and Marxist scholars Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels. I will then identify the policies implemented by the UK government to eradicate all sort of disadvantages associated gender from society and its effectiveness in abolishing the social problem. Finally I will conclude by identifying the benefits and possible boundaries of the UK government’s policies that have been developed to fully eliminate gender disparities from society. For far too long, women have tolerated unfairness at the hands of male bigots in societies that have been largely related to cultural and gender biased. These characteristic of cultural societies were highly kind to men than women, it is naturally expected that men should occupy...
Words: 3115 - Pages: 13
...Gender Inequality in the Workplace Christian Johnstone DeVry University Gender Inequality in the Workplace A woman, who had spent 23 years working her way up the ranks at a Vermont plastics company, sued the company for wage discrimination. The woman began her career as a secretary at the company and eventually made her way to high-level management. The company hired a male to replace her position when she retired, offering him a starting pay of $10,000 more a year to do the same job she had been doing. The male replacement ended up not working out, so the company asked the woman to return to her previous position. However, the company still didn’t offer her the same salary that they had offered her male replacement. (Lister, n.d.) Examples that are similar to, and far worse than the one mentioned, continue to persist in this country. Women continue to be blatantly discriminated against, and held back from deserved promotions while their male counterparts rise through the ranks in corporate America. Women have made great strides in the last few decades toward gaining workplace equality. However, in a continued effort toward moving forward, there needs to be a promotion of empowerment for women and giving them the autonomy needed to manage their own lives. The reality though, is that the phenomenon referred to as the glass ceiling does exist. “The ‘glass ceiling’ can be described as an ‘invisible, but impenetrable barrier which prevents women from reaching senior positions...
Words: 2905 - Pages: 12
...it that makes this such an apparently impossible issue to resolve? Critically examine the implications, of this gender inequality, for efficient and effective work and management practices in companies today. Introduction Gender inequality issue originates from Christian ideology, which advocates traditional thought of “male superiority to female”. In the workplace, gender inequality causes unequal treatment between male and female employees, such as women are typically more difficult to get promotions than male; they do the same work as male but get paid less than men, they even suffer from other issues such as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment exists in most countries including Australia. As long as the society couldn’t reach to gender equality, people’s human rights will be threatened whether people in the workplace, or anywhere else. This essay introduces the histories and background of gender equality, and further examines the gender equality improvement in Australia, as well as the effects of this issue in the workplace. Moreover, there also several suggestions for companies on gender equality promotion and related policies making. Gender Equality in Workplace Grown (2003, p.2) claims that the term ‘Gender Equality’ narrates the measureable equal representation of men and women. Gender equality is a basic human right that both men and women are equally contributing to...
Words: 2862 - Pages: 12
...Women in the workplace: Obstacles they may never overcome For decades, women have been striving for gender equality in the workplace. Since then, there have been several laws that have been passed to project and protect gender equality. One of these laws is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and this law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Although these laws are enacted, many places of employment do not implement these laws. Because of this, gender equality in the workforce has been very delayed, and women are still struggling for equality. The feminist movement has been ongoing for several decades, and although the movement has made tremendous strides towards total gender equality in the workplace, there are some barriers that will never be overcome such as salary differences, gender stereotypes, and anatomical differences. What is Discrimination, and how does it affect women in the workplace? The legislation defines discrimination as treating one person in a less favorable way than another person (“overview…”). In the workplace discrimination is evident in all areas of work. Discrimination can range from unequal pay to sexual harassment. More specifically discrimination can be based off of 9 grounds: gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the traveler community (“overview…”). Women in particular often experience this discrimination when trying to obtain a job...
Words: 2204 - Pages: 9
...December 10, 2012 Gender Inequality: How Women get the Short Stick Gender equality and gender roles go hand in hand in today’s economy. These two concepts complement each other to the extent in which one must know about both to fully understand the capacity of either. Gender roles are roles each sex is given. These are stereotypical things. For example, things like women cook and males work. In todays economy men and women are not equal. Gender inequality and gender roles are one of our countries biggest issues. Gender is how people are seen by society. This is imprinted in the brain at a young age and is formed and molded through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood. Each stage comes with different ideas about gender and power. Childhood is the point in life where the environment most influences the formation of gender schemas and stereotypes. Gender schemas are an important part of understanding how a person sees the opposite sex. Gender Schemas are “the generalizations that children develop about the differences between boys and girls” (Stevenson 3). On the other hand there is stereotyping. Stereotyping is also process that begins during childhood. Young children know that male stereotypes are high in power whereas female stereotypes convey fear and helplessness. Children are influenced by information about gender from family, peers, and the media (Stevenson 3). This justifies the argument that men and women aren’t treated equal. Gender Roles are evident...
Words: 1780 - Pages: 8
...Summary: Inequalities among women in the workplace are a major problem. While the United States and other countries have made significant progress towards implementing laws to prevent harassment and discrimination, these issues continue to plague women. Women encounter pay inequalities frequently. Although there are a large majority of women who are receiving higher levels of education than men, women are not being promoted to top positions in the workplace even when their performance equals that of men. Furthermore, because of wage inequalities, the average woman who works full-time will encounter a $460,000 loss in pay throughout a forty-year time span, which will result in working twelve extra years to compensate for this loss in income (Godfrey,2017). Moreover, women regularly experience sexual harassment and sex discrimination. While Title...
Words: 968 - Pages: 4
...Gender Quota in European Companies Women are having a hard time reaching top positions in companies. The European Union recognizes this problem and decided to implement new laws that require quotas for women in businesses. According to the European Commission, women need to work an extra of 59 days to match the salary earned by men, which makes an average gender pay gap of 16.2% across the European Union in 2010. ("Equal pay day:," 2013). The reason why the quota system in Europe is not working is, because it has the status of a directive. Equality is one of five values on which the Union is founded. The Union is bound to strive for equality between women and men in all its activities. (3 Articles 2 and 3 TEU, Article 8 TFEU). Therefore, the EU has laws that forbid discrimination based on sex. Article two of the Maastricht Treaty (TEU) clearly states men and women are equal. (Van Ooik, & Vandamme, 2010, p. 5). In addition, article 121 of the TFEU states that men and women have the right for equal pay. Finally, article 21 of the Lisbon Treaty specifically prohibits discrimination based on sex (Van Ooik, & Vandamme, 2010, p. 161). This means that women in the EU are protected by law against discrimination based on their gender. However, in practice gender inequality still exists in European businesses. The European Union and its fight for gender equality has been a long battle. Despite EU law and directives the European Union has not been able to solve the problem....
Words: 1365 - Pages: 6
...Women began to protest against unfair and unequal wages as early as 1820. In 1844 women who were mill workers in Lowell Massachusetts created the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association which testified that the work they were doing was dangerous and ended up finally leading to an investigation in worker safety. (Leckie, 1) This was critical because it allowed women to be heard. A step forward for women in the workplace occurred in 1881 when the members of one of the largest and most important labor organizations of the 1880s, the Knights of Labor, voted to finally admit women. This organization stressed equal pay regardless of sex and this was a huge accomplishment. Although the organization did not last long, it helped women immensely by...
Words: 1310 - Pages: 6
...Inequality for Women in America Equality has always been an issue in America. Inequality in America has had many different reasons. One reason for inequality is that men have always been superior to women. Women didn’t have the same rights that men did. Women couldn’t have a job or vote. Women finally got the right to vote in 1929. Now even though women have pretty much the same rights as men do, inequality is still greatly noticed. Women still don’t get treated as equals. Women get higher prices in auto shops and hair salons. Because men don’t think of women as equals when in an auto shop, women are taken advantage of and given higher than average prices. In hair salons or barber shops women are given higher prices than men, even for the same haircut, because women will generally pay more to have the look that they want. Women also get the “credit” for poverty. Poverty is usually feminized completely. If a family is at or below the poverty line, the woman in the house is blamed for it. Inequality in America is not gone, it is just under the surface where not many people may see the truth behind it. In America the average price for a woman’s haircut is $44, but the average price for a man’s haircut is $28. (Risen) Some would blame the difference in price on the difference in price on the length of hair. The price for a woman to get a haircut is almost double what a man’s haircut price is all over the nation. The most expensive haircut in the nation for a woman is $73....
Words: 1413 - Pages: 6
...testimony that, in the days of yore, men were considered as the bread-winners and women as the nest-builders. As far as women were concerned, they were entrusted the responsibility to transform the brick-made house into a love-made home. The men had only to support the family financially. In fact, the women were stigmatised as homely-made furniture in the eyes of men. Unfortunately, this patriarchal trend still prevails in this so-called revolutionized world, where women are, once again, characterized as inferior. If the world has really undergone a revolution, then why this corrupt attitude towards women has not yet changed? However, the law has as its main motive to preserve and promote human rights, and gender equality is the crux of those rights. Gender equality does not only stand as a process of equal valuing of the roles of women and men, but more precisely, as a practice to overcome the obstacles of prejudices so that both sexes are subject to the economic, social, cultural and political developments of the society. It simply aims at equal perception, equal empowerment and equal responsibility in all spheres of life. One can be surely flabbergasted to acknowledge that achieving gender equality necessitates the presence of men; those men, because of whom, the word gender inequality came mostly into existence. Notwithstanding it is an incontestable fact that gender inequality includes both sexes, yet women are the most vulnerable to these disparities. ...
Words: 1768 - Pages: 8
...there has been unequal distribution of power, wealth, and privilege among men and women especially in the work place. A functionalist might say that there is a function for the gender differentiation. There are jobs that need to be done, where some are more suitable for men than women and vice versa. On the contrary, a conflict theorist would reply that women have low status because they have been exploited by powerful men for the work they do and the children they provide. The difference between male and female is socially created and defined by numerous types of cultures. In our society, males are sought to be as the provider of the household who work to support their family, maintain control, they’re “active,” and “competitive.” Therefore, men are encouraged to hold leadership positions and play sports. Whereas women are the caretakers of the children and family, they do the housework, they’re more “submissive,” “passive” and “emotional.” In turn they’re expected to stay home, be supportive helpers, and be quick to show their feelings, as stated in the textbook. According to Martha C. Nussbaum, in her book, Women and Human Development, she states that women “are treated as mere instruments of the ends of others - reproducers, caregivers, sexual outlets, agents of a family’s general prosperity.” They are not treated fairly with the respect they deserve from institutions and laws. Gender inequality is predominately seen in the work force. The work performed by the two sexes is...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...Right now, the unfortunate truth in America is that men and women are not receiving equal pay. An issue since the 1960’s, pay inequality based on gender still seems to an issue running rampant in today’s business world. While many people believe that equal pay is a must for men and women, there are many reasons why bridging the pay gap would hurt the economy, thus actually reeking more havoc than gender pay inequality ever has. Pay inequality is a major issue for many that remains in the forefront of the news. Pay inequality, otherwise known as the pay gap was brought to light in 1963 when the Equal Pay Act of 1963 labor law was amended to abolish wage disparity based on sex (“The Equal Pay Act: Equal Pay for Women”). While this amended law...
Words: 1399 - Pages: 6
...1. Introduction Equality and diversity in the workplace has become a central topic in the debate within the human resource management literature. Traditionally, society has been divided into different social classes, which arise from different aspects such as access to material resources, access to education and employment opportunity. These divisions in class differences have reflected and have fundamental influence over employment relationships (Williams and Adam-Smith, 2009). However, inequality nowadays is more complex. It has gone beyond the issue of class differences, thus the lack of equality and non-discrimination framework impedes the progress of equality and diversity in contemporary organisations (Fawcett Report, 2013). The presented paper builds on the existing literature on the topic of equality and diversity in the workplace, and aims to examine the role of trade unions, governments and human resource managers in promoting equality and diversity within organisations. Particular difficulties of advancing equality in practice are investigated and solutions to overcome these issues are discussed. Overall, the paper is structured into three main sections. To begin, a short outline of different approaches used in addressing equality and diversity will be considered. The first main section highlights the role of the stakeholders in promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. The second section evaluates numerous challenges preventing the promotion of equality...
Words: 3310 - Pages: 14
...and legislation behind the Pay Equity and Equal Pay for Equal Work commission, a gender wage gap persists (Canadian Women, 2017:1-4). According to Statistics Canada, the main causes of gender wage disparity since 2010 (Statistics Canada, 2017: 16) include the differences in hours actually worked (as 75% of those that work part-time are women), women’s greater responsibility for caregiving, women’s educational and career choices as a result of socialization, and discrimination, stereotypes and societal norms probably account for remaining and persistent 7% (Bredtmann & Otten, 2014: 303-304). This demonstrates the relevance of occupational segregation, as men are more likely than women to major in business or in STEM fields...
Words: 1340 - Pages: 6
