Operating a Business

A Guide to Promote Gender Equality in the Workplace

Written By: Eric Williams
Reviewed by: Mike Reyes
Last Updated December 30, 2021
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Gender Equality in the Workplace

In the modern workplace, there is really no place for discrimination. All people should be equal not only in the workplace but in life in general. In reality, a lot of businesses argue in favor of equality not only because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s trendy. And some say that at least it’s a step up in the right direction!

Women and men have to be presented with fair opportunities, the same salary for the equivalent workload, and an unbiased level of respect from bosses and colleagues. Gender diversity is also one of the tools that business owners actively use to develop and promote their operations. Still, there are some gaps in promoting gender equality in the workplace.

There are a lot of studies that show women making less money than their male colleagues, even when their duties are identical. Today, with the pandemic still going on, some statistics show that women lost their jobs more than men. Even if you didn’t clash with discrimination in the workplace, it doesn’t mean that inequality doesn’t exist anymore.

Often equality in the place of work starts with a single person. If you are not sure that your resume doesn’t have any biases, use some ATS software. Of course, this is only a start of a long journey to fighting discrimination. So here is a guide to promote gender equality in the workplace!

Gender Discrimination: What Does That Mean?

It might be hard for some individuals to understand the essence of discrimination if they have never thought about it before. Basically, gender equality means that men and women are treated in the same way by employers and other personnel and have the same career resources. Here are some of the defining features of unbiased experience in the organization:

  • Every member of staff feels safe and accepted in any position;
  • Job promotions and career growth are available to every person without any fear of harassment;
  • All members of staff are treated with respect and solidarity;
  • All training materials and education from the company are available to all workers.

How to promote gender equality within the organization?

You might not even think about it, but discrimination can be seen in different areas. It isn’t related only to sexual harassment and differences in qualification and salary, as many might think. For example, some jobs are inclined to have some level of inequality. The IT sector consists mostly of male employees, and the nursing profession attracts women.

Based on this, it is obvious that when a man is an applicant to be a nurse, he might not even be considered for the position. This is exactly part of the problem of gender bias that can be reduced to some level:

  • Employers have to provide unconscious bias training for the recruiters;
  • Human resource managers have to use gender-neutral language in their applications;
  • Stereotypical thinking is not acceptable in any form during the interview!
  • Use an applicant tracking system. This way, you can find a bot-beating resume that will be a good fit!

Also, not all business owners understand that sometimes women are forced to do a lot more compared to men. Often a female employee has to go over her head to be noticed and appreciated. So, if you want equality, you need to focus on the efforts that every person makes as part of the team. After all, the results of the workers will benefit the organization in the future!

Gender neutrality in the hiring process

It’s especially important to create an inclusive process of hiring workers for the company. Often business owners discriminate not only between genders but also different ages. You often see ads for various positions that go like this: ‘woman, 18-30 years old’. This is definitely a form of discrimination on the job market and almost every woman had an experience with it!

To eliminate gender inequality in the office, business owners have to work together with the hiring manager and recruiters. For example, you can post job descriptions that don’t specify any gender or age. Also, the recruiting firms have to be diverse, including men and women from all backgrounds. Sometimes ATS bots also help with finding good candidates.

Another good point is to simplify the description. Some studies show that women respond to a job application if they can match all of the requirements that are listed there. Men, on the other hand, can respond to an ad even if they don’t meet all demands and still land an interview. If you want to attract job seekers regardless of their gender, try making a simpler ad!

Why is gender equality important today?

Inclusivity in all aspects of life is something that every person has a right to have. In the workplace, equality means that all employees have fair opportunities for growth, compensation, and education. Every person has a right to feel comfortable when they come to work. It’s a joint effort of employers, HR representatives, and the staff!

So, as you can see, gender equality is very important for the company and for the people who look for their dream job. Those employees who are happy in their office tend to perform better and be happier in life in general. When they don’t have to stress about dealing with difficult bosses, people can excel and even discover their new abilities in their career field!

Also, studies show that when people spend their working hours with like-minded colleagues who are open to communication, they change their views in a more positive way. In other words, your social circle is very important for your development. So you will translate positive thoughts and acceptance through your whole life and become more open to change!

Takeaway

In 2024, the question of gender inequality shouldn’t even exist. Sadly, there are still some examples of discrimination in the office. Your firm will have more accomplishments with a diverse team with different work experience. By following simple rules and some common sense, you can really change your social environment for the better in the future!

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