Women have been marginalized throughout the years in many aspects, especially when it comes to job opportunities. Some people think that females are not built for work because they lack the physical and mental strength. They fail to see that women have made history and shared in the success of many countries, so how are they still seen as unequal?
People are becoming more aware of the cruelty of gender inequality. The problem is, women can become gender-biased due to the internalized misogyny that they have been exposed to since they were just little girls. So, here are some ways to support women's rights in the workplace and make others join too.
Employment Access
Have you ever heard that a man was asked whether his personal life affects his work or not? Then why are women being asked questions that are unrelated to the job? The interviewer will dig deep into the applicant's life just because she is a woman. It is even worse when a woman gets rejected for her gender, even if she fits the description or is overqualified for the job.
If you work in human resources, you can try and change the course of the sexist interviews and stick to the main question regardless of the sex of the interviewee. Also, you can point out that a woman's effectiveness should not be questioned just because she has kids.
Seminars
Everyone should be responsible for educating themselves when they are old enough to do their own research, but sometimes you need to spoon-feed some people's information and educate them on other people's rights. For instance, as a business owner or manager, you should give lectures every now and then about the importance of gender equality in the workplace so that even when clients arrive, they will know about your work ethics from how your employees treat each other.
Hire a Lawyer
According to recent statistics, 90% of women experience sexual and verbal harassment at least once in their lives. It is even worse when they face that in their work environment, where they have to go every day and look at their abuser without being able to retaliate. Sometimes, even if they decide to speak up to the head of the office, they will be dismissed and end up feeling even more humiliated.
Sometimes you have to seek legal assistance if you get exposed to gender discrimination as a female employee. It is not easy to risk your job and file a lawsuit against the company, but as the experienced attorneys at this Nashville employment law firm emphasize, a reliable lawyer will stand up for you and do everything in their power to give you your right back. The horrors you can face in a racist or sexist company will be alleviated with the help of a dedicated lawyer.
Close the Pay Gap
If you are in a place of power, use it wisely in favor of every employee. It cannot be denied that salaries differ for the same position according to gender. Women advocates have been fighting for equal pay for years, so if you are a manager, your role is to ensure that everyone is treated fairly when the payment is due. If you're a regular employee, know your pay rights and get legal help if needed.
Management Diversity
People still believe that women are fragile and too emotional that they cannot be leaders. If a female is a company's CEO, a team leader, or a partner, employees under her command will tend to undermine her power. They will question her decisions and doubt her every move because they think they know better than a woman.
Moreover, some managers do not promote women because they don't want them to crawl up the power chain. Your role is to call for diverse management and promote the inclusion of employees, regardless of their gender or ethnicity.
Speak Up
Never stay silent nor accept to be shut down by fellow workers. Your voice matters and your ideas can bring gold to the company. Also, speak up against violence, discrimination, and harassment. You have every right to call people out for being unethical or sexist. Praise other females when they develop professionally. Furthermore, criticize everyone equally and don't be biased to your gender or the opposite one.
You don't have to be the head of the company to make a change. All you need to be is a believer in women's rights and a supporter of the fact that people deserve equal chances in life. So, if you are against sexism and aspire to live in a world where the workplace is a safe environment for all, then you should partake in the change you want to see. It can get challenging sometimes because you may not always know which direction to go, but after reading this, we think you will get a fair idea.
WRITTEN BY
Clara Rose