Many people assume that our society has finally achieved total gender equal rights in the workforce and beyond. However, in truth this is just not the way it is, particularly when it relates to women getting senior management jobs.
It's widely recognised that businesswomen face the glass ceiling in their job. Up to 73% of female participants in a recent Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) survey reported that they felt at a disadvantage while trying to get senior management jobs compared with their male counterparts. In contrast, 38% of men polled thought a glass ceiling still exists for women in the workplace. This kind of negative viewpoint regarding their job prospects seems to be in place from the beginning of a woman's career rather than reaching a later onset caused by work-related burnout or disappointment, with just one half of women expecting to become managers, versus two thirds of men.
A greater proportion of women see themselves establishing their own business enterprise than men which clearly shows a line of thinking which may be subconscious among female businesspeople: "The system won't support me when the time comes to juggle work and family." Women typically sense that they will be singled out for requiring maternity leave or requiring a more adaptable schedule throughout their child-bearing years in comparison with their male counterparts. For them, the risks of setting up their own enterprise may seem to outweigh the inevitability of the system failing them. At least with their own venture they're in charge.
As well as the personal preconceptions that women are battling with currently, additional issues also exist. Boardroom equal rights is not always achieved and the causes vary : it generally depends upon the actual organization. For businesses that have normally had a boardroom full of 'good old boys', it will be much harder for a woman to acquire a position of authority. Those men who presently rule there will probably select men similar to themselves to fill their position when they retire, leading to a cycle of female discrimination whether anyone realizes it.
One of the most harmful assumptions concerning discrimination is to assume that a person is the bad guy in the predicament. The mind is incredibly sophisticated and the majority of one's thinking takes place within the unobserved recesses of the mind. We move towards that which is recognizable and our egos like to see themselves in other people. Despite the fact that there are a number of individuals that practice discrimination consciously, many do not though.
Guidance and education is a way to make sure that the labourforce is aware of the potential issues which could come about as a result of gender discrimination. An alternative solution might be gender quotas which drive sizeable businesses to possess a determined number of women within the higher echelon of management.
It's widely recognised that businesswomen face the glass ceiling in their job. Up to 73% of female participants in a recent Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) survey reported that they felt at a disadvantage while trying to get senior management jobs compared with their male counterparts. In contrast, 38% of men polled thought a glass ceiling still exists for women in the workplace. This kind of negative viewpoint regarding their job prospects seems to be in place from the beginning of a woman's career rather than reaching a later onset caused by work-related burnout or disappointment, with just one half of women expecting to become managers, versus two thirds of men.
A greater proportion of women see themselves establishing their own business enterprise than men which clearly shows a line of thinking which may be subconscious among female businesspeople: "The system won't support me when the time comes to juggle work and family." Women typically sense that they will be singled out for requiring maternity leave or requiring a more adaptable schedule throughout their child-bearing years in comparison with their male counterparts. For them, the risks of setting up their own enterprise may seem to outweigh the inevitability of the system failing them. At least with their own venture they're in charge.
As well as the personal preconceptions that women are battling with currently, additional issues also exist. Boardroom equal rights is not always achieved and the causes vary : it generally depends upon the actual organization. For businesses that have normally had a boardroom full of 'good old boys', it will be much harder for a woman to acquire a position of authority. Those men who presently rule there will probably select men similar to themselves to fill their position when they retire, leading to a cycle of female discrimination whether anyone realizes it.
One of the most harmful assumptions concerning discrimination is to assume that a person is the bad guy in the predicament. The mind is incredibly sophisticated and the majority of one's thinking takes place within the unobserved recesses of the mind. We move towards that which is recognizable and our egos like to see themselves in other people. Despite the fact that there are a number of individuals that practice discrimination consciously, many do not though.
Guidance and education is a way to make sure that the labourforce is aware of the potential issues which could come about as a result of gender discrimination. An alternative solution might be gender quotas which drive sizeable businesses to possess a determined number of women within the higher echelon of management.
About the Author:
360 diversity gives equality and diversity training to public, private and third sector companies across the UK to assist them to effectively put into practice and monitor equality and diversity policies.
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