A growing topic of conversation the last several years has been about the equality gap between men and women in the workplace. There has been a resurgence and continual rising awareness of feminism in the world, and with it, women are demanding change.
Not only are women less represented in the workplace and business world, they are also experiencing high rates of discrimination, given less leadership opportunity, and paid significantly less than their male counterparts. Though these are only a few of the problems plaguing women in the workplace, let’s go a little more into depth.
Discrimination in the Workplace
This topic encompasses a lot of issues. Discrimination can include sexual harassment, lack of promotions given to women based upon their sex, not allowing women to be involved in certain training opportunities, and finally, but not limited to, giving women a different job title because of their gender.
Discrimination can take it’s form in many different ways, the ones listed above are just some of the most common ways women are not treated as equals to men. Though some discrimination can do with how a woman appears to her male counterparts, other times it can is completely unrelated to looks or appearance.
Wage Gap
There are many women in the world who perform the exact same jobs as men, but are paid significantly less, just because they’re women. The logic really makes no sense, yet it’s a problem that has plagued women for as long as they’ve been able to work.
In 2014, statistics showed that women earn 79 percent of what men earn in the same position. The wage gap can not only be calculated on a national level, it can also be pinpointed to particular cities. For example, Washington D.C. is shown to have the smallest gap in wages, at only 90%, whereas in Idaho, women are paid 75% and in Louisiana, women are paid a measly 65% of what men earn.
The statistics are even more upsetting when compared with women of color.
Hope for Women in the Workplace
As awareness has spread, things are slowly being done to correct this injustice towards women. Though it’s completely dependent on the business to choose how they’re going to treat women, women do have options and ways to assert themselves to make a difference in the business world.
For instance, if a woman feels she has been treated unequally, she can file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They will investigate her claim and choose how to further proceed.
Though women have been oppressed, this is not a matter to mourn upon. Many women have pushed through this boundary and made amazing opportunities for themselves and other women. You can follow in their example and be a part of the change for women globally. Inequality is a very real thing on so many levels. All it takes is one small step for women to make one giant leap for womankind.
Originally posted on November 19, 2015 @ 12:32 pm