At this point, it is easy to see how disheartening it feels for women to work as hard and not get equal pay. Even though they reached the top rung, still, their pay is lower compared to their male counterparts.
Another issue facing women at the workplace is the gender discrimination. This can be done directly or indirectly. Women are indirectly discriminated when they are made to feel inferior due to their gender such as being not considered for promotion. Direct discrimination happens when a woman is discharged from work due to pregnancy.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is another huge issue women need to contend with. Often those at the bottom rung experience this kind of shabby treatment from male co-workers. Sexual harassment can be done directly or indirectly too. Indirect ways of sexually harassing a person would come through jokes or stories with sexual undertones. Directly, if women experience actual harassment such as being touched in private parts or offered a promotion if woman agrees to spend a night with the boss (Anonymous, 2004).
Sexual harassment may not necessarily be limited to sexual innuendos alone. Sexual harassment could also take the form of men trying to control women. Sexual discrimination withdraws or limits opportunities of advancement for women making them more vulnerable for sexual harassment (Anonymous, 2004).
What to Do
To address these issues surrounding women in the workplace, employers must acknowledge the fact that pay gap that still exists between men and women doing similar work. Managers, at all levels, must commit to paying people, regardless of gender, the same amount of money for doing same jobs.
Several companies though have implemented a number of policies to address these rising and disturbing issues that affect women. One such way is conducting a series of corporate trainings to educate people and to create awareness about the matters pertaining to women's work life. It may take a while before these efforts bear fruits but it is a good start. Another possible solution to women's dilemma is to recognize differing attitudinal patterns between men and women. Take for instance a simple nod could indicate agreement for the men. In women, though this could mean a number of things like they understood what you are saying but does not necessarily agree with you. Sometimes these differences in attitudes between men and women could pose problems at the workplace that is why education and training in gender differences is vital (Koch, 2005).
The government is another body that could effectively address issues surrounding women in the workplace. It is also doing its share of addressing these unfair treatments of women by supporting federal legislations and enactment of acts and laws that promote equal pay for equal work. The equal pay law came about in 1963.
Women have a say in the matter since it concerns them. They need to empower themselves and stay in touch with their own workplace. If a woman knows she is making
less money than a man, and all other considerations seem to be equal, she owes it to herself to forward her case to her boss and to Human Resources. This way, she helps in promoting gender-friendly workplace and upholds her own worth.
Employers need to pay more attention to the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. They exist to create equity and too many employers are still working them as if they are a numbers game because of tracking and reporting requirements.
As recommended by the Women Employed Institute, women should exert extra efforts to be more aware of careers that offer higher pay opportunities. The sad case these days is that most women's jobs are group in what is know as "female" occupations that pay poorly. Government and social institutions can help promote gender equality by promoting and educating women about opportunities that exist. This way, women can pursue opportunities for education in these higher paying jobs. Catalyst, which monitors the progress of women in the workplace, revealed in their report that as of 1998, women only comprise 2.7% of the highest-paid officers at Fortune 500 companies. Most women are found doing work in the bottom rung of the ladder. Their opportunities seem limited since they content themselves to doing lower paying domestic, clerical support, and administrative-type occupations (Heathfield, 2003)
Women's rightful place at work is gaining wide acceptance these days. Despite the discrimination women experience, the marketplace still offers a number of opportunities for women. Changes are slowly being incorporated in the workplace. As attitudes change so do the situation for the women. These perceived differences of men and women all boils down to attitude.
