Gender Inequality in the Workplace
Over the years, women have been getting less preferential treatment despite the positions they hold in their workplaces. Gender inequality is very common in the workplaces, and this is a serious issue that should not be overlooked by employers. Many women are bullied, ridiculed, threatened, sexually harassed, and unequally treated by their male counterparts because of the presence of gender inequality in the workplace. Inequality occurs in women because they are considered to be the weaker sex and precisely because they lack power and hold vulnerable and insecure positions in their workplaces. It is therefore essential for all employers to keep all women safe in their workplaces because gender inequality in the workplace can be detrimental to their safety, health, work, and can lead to serious legal implications.
Gender-based Discrimination and Harassment
Gender-based discrimination in the workplace is usually directed to women although men can also be subjected to gender inequality. Women are always disproportionately represented in low-paying jobs and often subjects to discrimination and harassment. Most working class women have become vulnerable to harassment and discrimination because of the systematic inequalities permitted in the workplaces. They are forced to endure the harassment because of the fear of losing their careers and jobs.
Harassment in the Workplace
Harassment in the workplace is one of the overt types of gender inequality and discrimination women face. It takes different forms but sexual harassment is the most egregious form of harassment experienced by women in their workplaces. Harassment in the workplace, specifically sexual harassment, can be quite detrimental to the health and safety of employees. Most women feel humiliated, frustrated, and angry when nothing is done at their workplace even after reporting harassment and discrimination. It is therefore important for employers to understand that workplace sexual harassment is real and ensure that the female workers are safe in their workplace.
Real-life Examples of Sexual Harassment
It is evident that women are largely sexually harassed as restaurant workers. An example is Donna, the woman in Behind the Kitchen Door who worked in a Creole restaurant in Los Angeles. The owner of the restaurant constantly harassed her and pressured her to have sex with him and when she turned him down, he demoted her (Jayaraman 142). Because of her gender, Donna had to deal with daily sexual comments about her body and this is a form of sexual harassment in the workplace. Another example is Yelena who confesses, “The general manager had been taking advantage of everyone, sexually harassing us at work every day" (Jayaraman 142). Yelena thought she had landed a good job that could sustain her only to have to endure sexual harassment at her workplace on a daily basis. Yelena says the manager “would kiss a woman's ear and make dirty comments all the time" (Jayaraman 144). Just like Yelena and Donna, many women face serious workplace discrimination and sexual harassment and it is time this should be stopped and those found guilty punished. However, it is unfortunate that many women endure sexual harassment in their workplace because they are more worried about losing their jobs.
Fear of Reporting
Most women will always fear to report any form of harassment or discrimination from their male counterparts in their workplaces because nothing much is done about the situation. For instance, in the case of Janelle Asselin, she reported Eddie Berganza, an editor in their workplace for sexual misconduct and instead of being punished, Eddie was promoted to an executive editor (Everyday health). Such cases make women fear to do the right thing, which is filing a case or a report because of the intimidation they will have to face for opening up. According to Herbst, Asselin confesses that “It was so demoralizing, I felt so unvalued by the company," and this is one of the main reasons why sexual assault remains unreported in many workplaces across the world because nothing is done (Everyday Health). Asselin and her colleague thought they did the right thing to report Eddie, but it is unfortunate that the company valued him more than the safety of their female workers despite being reported severally for sexual assault. Berganza was only fired after the women went public to protest about the issue on BuzzFeed.
The Negative Effects of Gender Inequality and Discrimination
To say gender inequality and discrimination is not a problem in the workplace is like arguing that bullying in schools is acceptable. The victims of harassment and gender inequality feel the effects and this can affect their work performance and even their personal lives. Most women who are sexually harassed at work tend to lose the motivation to work, and this affects their overall performance and some of them are even forced to resign from their jobs. It is important to recognize that gender inequality and discrimination exist rather than remaining mum about the issue. No one should be treated unfairly because of his or her gender. While we recognize gender discrimination and harassment can happen to people of both sexes, it is a predominant problem that happens to women in the workplaces and it should be stopped.
Addressing Gender Inequality in the Workplace
Gender inequality in workplaces has become a complex phenomenon that is prevalent in organizational structures, practices, and process. In fact, gender inequality is a serious issue that should not be overlooked. Several women are suffering in silence because they fear to report incidences of harassment and unequal treatment because of the intimidation they get afterward. Many of them even decide to quit their jobs just to be safe from the harassment and gender discrimination. Therefore, it is important for all employers to be responsible and ensure that such vices are not happening in the workplace by protecting the rights of women workers.
Link Between Gender Inequality and Sexual Harassment
There is a link between gender inequality and sexual harassment in the workplace. Gender inequality contributes to a culture where women are ridiculed, undervalued, and not recognized respectively for their hard work and this intensifies power imbalance between men and women in a workplace. As a result, this paves the way for sexual harassment from their superiors, employers, and male co-workers. Therefore, to stop sexual harassment in the workplaces, gender inequalities should be dealt with. Gender inequality and discrimination in a workplace is a deterrent to women becoming successful in the workforce. Therefore, it is important to stop gender inequalities by ensuring that all employees are safe at their workplace regardless of their gender.
Works Cited
Herbst Diane. “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: 3 Women Speak Out.” Everyday health, https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/sexual-harassment-workplace-women-speak-out/. Accessed 26 March 2018.
Jayaraman Saru. Behind the Kitchen Door. NY: Cornell University Press, 2013. 130-156
