It has always been corporate culture all over the world to see women as the weaker sex. Male bosses ask women about vacuum cleaners and pressure cookers because the idea is that women took care of these things in the house. Almost all the time, bosses also ask women to take notes during a meeting. Why not ask the men to do it instead? When finally, governments relented to giving women more off days for maternity leave, some found it humorous to joke about how women get more holidays than men. Of course, it never occurred to many of these people that for centuries, women are paid lower than men.
That is the case in Hollywood. That is the case in many boardrooms. Women get lower than what men in the same position receive. That is beside the fact that women do more than men for these companies. A report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) said that women perform 76.2% of the total hours of unpaid care work. That’s three more times more than men. So, do you ever wonder why women are more stressed at work and in the house? They do so much in a span of 24 hours than men do in three days.
Of course, that’s not to say that men are not as reliable and skillful as women. History, however, showed how women have become victims over and over again because of patriarchal societies that still exist. Do you know that in some parts of the world, women are still not allowed to drive a car or go outside without a male chaperone? In some parts, women as young as nine and 12 are forced to marry old men against their will.
Improve Work-life Balance
Women almost always find themselves choosing between childcare and work. When they choose the former, that shows they won’t be as effective bosses as men can be. If they choose the latter, that means they are bad mothers. Organizations should show their support for gender sensitivity and equality in the workplace by providing support for childcare and the elderly.
To relieve the stress of working mothers, they can also provide discounts to a chiropractor so their employees can better manage their stress and bodily pains. Organizations that are concerned about the physical health of their employees often reap the rewards through increased productivity. This goes for both men and women.
Recognize Privilege
The term male privilege often doesn’t exist in men’s minds. Why? Because when they don’t see it, then it doesn’t exist for them. One of the many ways to make your workforce more aware is to train both genders to see signs of sexism. Yes, this goes for women, too. Many times, women have become so desensitized to these roles that they don’t mind how their bosses often ask them to make the coffee even though there are more men in that room than there are women.
Understand How Exclusion Works
You rarely notice it, but gender roles are prevalent in the workplace, too. In an advertising firm, for example, accounts for lingerie are always handled by women while those of automobile companies fall on men’s laps naturally. Certain types of projects are being given to women because they “fit” them better.
People don’t even notice these anymore because the whole world has already accepted these roles. A way out of it is to make your employees “compete” for the projects. Base your judgment on their merits and not on their genders. Otherwise, you will make your workplace unfit for ambitious women. That can ruin your brand.
Increase Gender Diversity in Hiring Practices
Companies with better gender diversity often outperform their counterparts with less gender diversity in the workplace. Surveys showed that women dominate service-oriented jobs while men are bosses in tech companies. The problem here is that the patients or customers suffer the most because they are more diverse than the people attending them. Understanding becomes more of a challenge.
To create more diversity, promote gender equality in job descriptions to encourage both men and women to apply for the job posts. You should also create a more diverse interview panel composting of men and women of all ages. These will at least ensure the diversity of the people you will hire.
Gender sensitivity in the workplace will take your organization to the next level. It will bring your company to modern times, thereby opening new avenues and opportunities for growth and partnerships. There might not be a more important goal for your business right now than to become gender-sensitive.