Typical challenges women face in the workplace

Women in the workplace

Global studies by reputable organisations have shown that companies employing women in large numbers outperform their competitors on every measure of profitability. Today, women globally earn more college and graduate degrees than men do and make up approximately half or more of the workforce. Yet, they are still faced with more challenges in the workplace than men, such as the following:

Wage and benefits gap

In some countries, men earn significantly more and also receive more benefits than women doing the same job. The current international pay gap average is 13% but South African women earn up to 33% less than their male counterparts for the same work.

Glass ceiling phenomenon

A glass ceiling exists for women in management that slows down their progression to levels above middle management. Their progression is often slowed down by a lack of mentoring opportunities, unequal access to capital and sterner performance findings. In South Africa, 44% of female university graduates are employed in the private sector but only 12 to 19% are top managers. Only 9% of top managers are black women.

This situation is soon to be remedied as the government is contemplating tough laws to enforce gender transformation compliance in the private and public sectors.

Harsh scrutiny of working women

According to studies undertaken, women are often scrutinised more harshly than men in the workplace and employers don’t make it easy for them to balance work and family life. Offering flexi-time, telecommuting, shared jobs and generous maternity and vacation leave will help. Employers and managers should guarantee objective and unbiased selection, promotion and retaining practices for women.

Seeing women as a serious investment problem

Although women have a lot to contribute to the workplace, they are often denied promotions and the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder because they get married, have children and leave. This assumption, although partly true, makes it very difficult for women to take their place in the corporate world and even return to work later.

Pregnancy and maternity leave issues

South African women are very well protected under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Although employers are not obliged to pay a woman’s salary while she is on maternity leave, she may claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) if she has contributed to the fund for more than four months.

Sexual harassment

Sexual exploitation and harassment of women in the workplace come in many guises and is a well-documented fact. Fortunately much has been done to prevent this practice and laws have been passed that force employers to protect female employees. Trusted male colleagues can also act as buffers by reprimanding men who harass women in the workplace.

Lack of confidence issues

The seemingly universal inherent lack of confidence of women in the workplace has been quantified and well documented. Confidence triggers action and is a prerequisite and just as important as competence to succeed in the workplace. Many psychologists now believe that, to build confidence, boys and girls should learn to take risks, cope with failure and learn to persevere at a young age. Unfortunately and to their detriment, girls learn to avoid taking risks and making mistakes from a young age. And, when a woman is assertive and confident in the workplace, she often faces a catch 22 situation and is labelled aggressive and a “bitch”. However, women are quick to learn and adapt, even if they have to “fake it until they make it”.

What’s to be done?

According to Sabrina Schaeffer of Forbes, “what is affecting the gender imbalance in the workplace are men’s and women’s different goals and desires”. She adds that women have children that they want to spend time with and many jobs, especially at top level, can’t adequately accommodate that balance. Although efforts are being made to try and solve these and the other problems that keep women back, a perfect solution has yet to be found.

Sources

 

Beatus, B. A citical analysis of gender-based workplace callenges facing women: gender and compensation. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu
Coy, P. and Dwoskin, E. 2012. Shortchanged: why women get paid less than men? Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com
Giang, V. 2013. What men and women really think about gender equality in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com
Katty, K. and Shipman, C. 2014. The confidence gap. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com
Ramesha, H. 2010. 4 Obstacles women still face in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://adminsecret.monster.com
Schaeffer, S. 2013. Business must stop coddling women in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com
SA Laws that protect women in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://southafrica.smetoolkit.org