Gender Inequality in Organizations
The world has made a great deal of progress in the last few decades, but gender inequality remains a major barrier to human development. Although girls and women have made significant advancements since 1990, gender equality is still a long way off. Many people attribute gender inequality to the discrimination women face in different areas of society. This discrimination hinders women from developing their potential and exercising their freedom. To understand gender inequality, it is useful to explore the history of gender inequalities and how they manifest today.
Women have higher rates of unintended pregnancies, cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, malnutrition, and respiratory infections than men, and they are more likely to be victims of abuse than men. They also suffer from unacceptable levels of violence and harmful practices that stem from gender inequality. For example, one-in-three women in the world have been the victims of violence in their intimate relationships. In many cases, rape is used as a weapon of war, and women have been attacked for attending school.
Organizational practices, structures, and strategies can contribute to gender inequality. Organizations with greater gender inequality may attract more sexist individuals. Those individuals may be better qualified for certain roles or be seen as more suitable for the company’s culture and strategy. Regardless of the reason for this inequality, it is important to consider the ways organizations can promote gender equality. The above examples illustrate some strategies for making organizations more inclusive. You can start by looking at organizational policies and procedures that foster gender equality.
There are many ways to eliminate gender inequality and improve economic equality. For example, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) released a new report that shows that women earn only 49 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts earn. The institute’s research also considers the amount of time women take off work for family obligations. The results are not surprising: women who have children will often earn substantially less than men do. In general, women are more likely to experience violence than men, and the wage gap is wider than ever.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has calculated several metrics to measure gender equality in countries. While India’s ranking has fluctuated over the years, the data on political empowerment, sex selective abortion, and overall female to male literacy and health score are among the lowest in the world. The country that topped the list of 136 countries with the lowest overall score is Iceland, where there is an average of 0.8731 for both men and women.
Many women are reluctant to ask for more money at work. They feel intimidated by discussing money, and are often viewed as desperate and greedy. According to Glassdoor research, women are seventy percent less likely to negotiate for their salary than men. However, this isn’t the only reason why women feel unappreciated. It may seem counterintuitive to some, but research shows that gender inequality affects women more than men.