Gender bias discrimination at the workplace

The talk that since we are in the 21st century, humans are more evolved is totally misplaced. If so, why does sex-based discrimination still continue to thrive at workplaces in India or even in the so-called developed economies of the world?

An unbiased observer can surely sense that employees, in general, treat their colleagues based on their gender across organizations of all types, including in the New Economy space. Thus, the number of males continue to overwhelm females in a workplace of any type. To add to it, sexual type-casting continues to be engendered by the popular culture where men are portrayed as being 'better' than their opposite-sex counterparts at managing, conversing and comprehending and resolving work-related issues, among others.

Sexual harassment is par for the course until women report such issues. Even here, the powers that be, must be inclined to initiate action against the guilty to prevent such problems from reoccurring. Meanwhile, the pay scales continue to hinge in favor of men because of the inherent biases.

Furthermore, during interviews, women have to contend with questions on how they would manage work-life balance. To cite an example; a female interviewee would have to answer questions on matters related to child-rearing while being at work.

Since these are systemic issues, it is not fair to blame the system as a whole. Instead, employers should handle such issues creatively by thinking unconventionally. They can combine them with proactive gender-sensitization measures. Employees need to have in-house classes on such sensitive matters just like they would on continual self-improvement or learning new skills.

The major deterrent against ill-treatment of women must, however, come from the government through enforcement of very stringent laws to bring the offenders to book. The guilty should also be made aware that inferiority of women is merely a misnomer that the society has propagated.