GENDER EQUALITY IN A WORKPLACE

Gender equality has been a trending topic of today’s world but its solutions are still unknown to many. This issue is often talked about but it still remains isolated in the world where opportunities are taking birth every second, without defining whether it is meant for a man or a woman.

 A Pew Research Center study revealed that close to 50 percent of entry-level employees are women, but women hold only 17 percent of the senior most jobs.  This is not really a great advancement compared to the last survey conducted in 2012, when that number was 16 percent. Hence, it is imperative that this issue is still a matter of discussion.

Your Gender Doesn't Define Your Capability

The question arises, what really is the practice of gender bias at the workplace? Well, inequality in gender pay, inadequate recruitment of women at the workplace, and of course, the mentality of the society on the role of a working woman are some of the many examples observed in our country. In fact, according to the research of the World Economic Forum (WEF), India is nowhere even close to the top 20 countries with equal gender pay. If we want to change it, the people of our society have to start thinking about gender bias as a material issue.

 Is there a way out? Yes, there is! The first and foremost being the promotion of gender equality through training and education. The management personnel should be made aware of the gender bias going on in the organisation. Not only this, increasing the recruitment of female employees is another effective solution. Another point of consideration is the act of showcasing the successful women of the companies as it will not only be a reflection of women solidarity at the workplace but also a source of encouragement for junior female employees to work hard. Another measure is to establish a policy that ensures equal compensation for men and women performing the same task. Beyond equal pay for equal work, the policy should also ensure that both genders are treated equally in terms of other aspects such as recruitment, training, hiring and promotion.

There are many solutions to the gender bias in a workplace

The solutions to this issue do not reach an end point here. There is yet another solution for this problem, that is, the implementation of quota system for women. India is truly a country for the reserved and not the deserved. The quota system has helped so many undeserving citizens get decent jobs in the country. But if the country's government really wishes to overcome the problem of gender bias then why can’t it introduce quotas for women? If the quotas can be introduced to those who hang around in expensive cars and live in lavish homes but pretend to be helpless in front of the government then they can surely be introduced for the women who fight for their rights every day.  In today’s time there cannot be a better answer to the issue of gender inequality than the introduction of quota system for women. This can increase the recruitment of female employees in an organisation, act as a relief for young girls with aspirations and improve the overall status of women in a workplace.

In the end all I would like to say that the women of our country are like flowers of a plant, all they need to bloom is adequate manure and sunlight in the form of support and opportunities.

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WRITTEN BY- PRABHASIS SINGH

CURATED BY- POOJAN SEHGAL