Essay Sample for Students: Gender Discrimination at the Workplace

Gender discrimination is the perception that one gender is superior to the other. It specifically refers to the belief that men are superior to women. It is the unfair distribution of responsibilities, opportunities, and resources between men and women. Gender discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employee receives unfavorable treatment because of their gender. It affects the standards, conditions, and terms of the employment (Sipe, Larson, Mckay & Moss, 2016). Despite legal protection from such discrimination, numerous organizations still battle the vice, more so since it relates to gender roles and stereotypes. Gender equality in the workplace facilitates high productivity from workers, leading to the motivation of both men and women employees in their respective posts. Gender discrimination is a historic injustice that is common in today's workplace since men feel superior to women leading to inequality in the distribution of responsibilities, opportunities, and resources.

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Women face discrimination in the place of work because of the belief that men are superior to them. Gender discrimination against women occurs primarily in companies managed by men. It occurs specifically because of bias in the management's decisions. An organization's productivity depends on how the management motivates employees. Discrimination among the employees results in discouragement. More so, this occurs since most firms employ mainly men in their technical departments. The human resource department must ascertain gender equity to guarantee equal representation of men and women in the management and production processes (Cavaletto, Pacelli & Pasqua, 2018). Salary is a fundamental aspect of motivation in the workplace. Some companies discriminate against women by paying them meager wages. Salary discrimination affects employees' attitude and morale as women develop negative attitudes and feel discouraged. The management of some firms also promotes more men to higher positions at the expense of women. Promoting more men compared to women reduces overall motivation, which reduces productivity (Witt, 2016). It affects an organization's profitability and results in reduced quality of products. According to the Pew Research Center Survey, approximately 42% of the American women face gender discrimination in their workplaces (Sipe et al., 2016). In a survey conducted by the Washington Post Survey and ABC News, about 54% of women face sexual harassment. The research by TNS Survey stipulates that 68% of employed women feel gender discrimination is a menace and common challenge experienced in the place of employment (Sipe et al., 2016). Admittedly, gender discrimination is rampant in the US, a country that boasts of pioneering gender equity and equality.

Gender discrimination in the workplace is a historic injustice that is best explained by the conflict theory. The conflict theory emphasizes the historical interpretation of events. It focuses on sociological aspects, such as class conflict and contrasting historical ideologies. According to the approach, gender discrimination is a historical injustice experienced by women globally. Since it depicts aspects of social class struggles, it is an apt theory for analyzing gender discrimination in the workplace (Sipe et al., 2016). Gender discrimination is a result of the battle between men and women to achieve success. Traditional society rated men higher than women. According to the norms of the traditional culture, women were inferior to men, which affected both genders' behavior and resulted in the unfair distribution of responsibilities and resources. Therefore, this theory advocates for equality and equity between men and women to eliminate gender discrimination in the confines of the workplace and in other societal pillars too (Cavaletto, Pacelli, & Pasqua, 2018).Resolving gender discrimination is a social, community and government initiative that commences with policy and legal enactments. Different governments and employment agencies are working on strategies to eliminate gender discrimination. They are formulating gender policies that require the appointment and employment of a certain percentage of women and men in management and other different employment positions (Foley, Ngo, Loi & Zheng, 2015). The gender rule also protects women from the violation of their rights. Organizations also develop policies that guarantee the participation of women in leadership and management of the organization. These policies promote equality and equity among men and women. They also aim to penalize companies condoning or participating in gender discrimination in any manner. Further, they ensure both women and men enjoy equal promotion chances and salary and growth opportunities in the workplace.

Different community projects also create equality and equity between men and women. They focus on fair distribution of resources and responsibilities (Witt, 2016). As a community organizer tasked with creating a program to address gender discrimination in the workplace, the creation of a gender-neutral environment would be the priority. The community project would focus on employing both men and women to foster a healthy relationship between the two genders. It would also seek to eliminate gender stereotypes. Every individual is obliged to fight against gender discrimination and promote equal treatment. Individuals should actively participate in community-based projects that aim at improving equality and equity. They should also positively change their attitudes towards women to facilitate the transformation from a patriarchal society to one that accords women the respect and opportunities they deserve. Gender discrimination both in and out of the workplace is a social vice that demands collective thinking and affirmative action from all genders to tackle.

In conclusion, gender discrimination in the workplace is a contemporary social vice that women face daily. Research shows that a woman is looked down upon, passed on in promotions, assigned lesser duties and paid meagre wages compared to men. Women are discriminated against since men feel superior, creating a masculine complex that denies women equal rights, opportunities and wages. As a global historic injustice, governments and communities alike should join hands to edify people on solutions to the vice. Additionally, integrating women and indulging them in previously masculine-considered duties will culminate in a less patriarchal society.

References

Cavaletto, G. M., Pacelli, L., & Pasqua, S. (2018). Women on board: Chain of command and gender discrimination at the workplace (No. 160). LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.

Foley, S., Ngo, H. Y., Loi, R., & Zheng, X. (2015). Gender, gender identification and perceived gender discrimination: An examination of mediating processes in China. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal, 34(8), 650-665.

Sipe, S. R., Larson, L., Mckay, B. A., & Moss, J. (2016). Taking off the blinders: A comparative study of university students' changing perceptions of gender discrimination in the workplace from 2006 to 2013. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 15(2), 232-249.

Witt, J. (2016). SOC 2016 (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.