Things that are Holding Women Back in the Workplace

Gender and pay equality have been big news in the media in recent months, with even film stars reporting that females were paid less than their male counterparts. The World Economic Form says that building strong success need equal opportunities and that with women missing from key jobs in many industries and professions, their skills and perspectives are not being effectively utilized.

This situation needs addressing, and some governments are showing the way by having at least half of their ministerial roles filled by females. Will that help in workplaces though, only time will tell.

Men See It Differently

One survey that was conducted not too long ago,  showed that most men think women have ample opportunities to progress up the ladder at work, compared to roughly half of women who felt the same way about the issue. Some managers and bosses should try talking to the women they work with, and then they might realize how much harder it is for women to get promotions. Many businesses will tell you they have an equal opportunities policy, but unfortunately in some cases, this is no more than lip service. The reality is that men are usually given advancement because of their gender, and women stay in their position much longer.

Unbalanced Figures

You will see reports that show high numbers of women bosses in some fields, but these give an unbalanced view. The professions and industries that do have more women at the helm tend to be traditional female roles, such as nursing and human resources. Look at industries such as finance, marketing or IT and you will see a totally different picture.

Harassments

Women are far more likely to suffer harassment in the workplace, sometimes because an executive is after sex in return for a higher paid job. Lawyers for harassment cases come across scenarios such as this quite often, just as they do for bullying and other forms of harassment. Women should not have to suffer like this. Either they are good enough for the job or not, and gender and sex should have nothing to do with it.

Family Issues

Some governments are trying to address the matter of family issues holding women back in their careers by insisting that either parent can take maternity leave. Some businesses have embraced this and make sure that women are not sidelined because they have been on maternity leave. Unfortunately, there are others who still see family issues as a problem, and will not give executive positions to women because of this.

Women At The Top

Having women in top positions in the workplace can affect the way the female employees are treated. Business who have women represented in some of the top jobs make it much simpler for the business as a whole to provide equal opportunities for all, no matter what their gender is.

This is how businesses should behave and until they do, women will continue to be underrepresented in key roles, and pay equality will never happen.