Gender Equality in the Workplace

According to different research works, working whether paid or unpaid is always crucial for our health and wellbeing. Additionally, working builds our confidence, self-esteem and contributes to our happiness. Although gender equality and equal pay laws are already in place, there has been inequality as well as pay gaps in most of the working places. There is always a need to ensure workplace gender equality to reduce the persistent pay gap as well as gender equality which is mainly attributed to the male-dominated workplaces (Behrens et al., 48). This argumentative essay aims at explaining why men and women should be given equal working opportunities as well as rights within their working fields.

Discussion

For a long time, men have been dominating over women from the inception of humankind. This has restricted women to very low limits. The male dominance has been taking every opportunity from the hands of women and time has come for rapid changes which involve equal existence. However, this is not agreeable to some male workers who always view women in a lower identity (Padavic, Irene & Barbara 54). Women have responded well to these situations and have started campaigning for their rights. Both men and women should be given equal opportunities as well as status within the working environment.

The act of equal treatment between men and women when it comes to the working field maintains that men and women should be treated equally at work. For instance, employers are not supposed to prefer one gender to another when positions are available. Employers must always provide preferential treatment to both men and women within the workplaces which promote gender equality. When implementing positive actions, in favor of one gender, employers should seek permission from the ministry responsible for the sector.

Gender equality within the working field can only be achieved when every worker is able t access and enjoy similar rewards and opportunities as well as equal remuneration for the work done. When women are fairly and equally represented, they are likely to perform better thus boosting the profits of the organization. When there is a fair representation, the satisfaction levels are high which increases employee engagement.

Providing equal working opportunities for both men and women leads to varied viewpoints. A varied and rich mixture of talents, skills, and strengths makes for all types of otherwise unexplored mental territories when men and women bring various ideas on the table. For instance, research has indicated that women have a special way of improving workplace functionality through collaborating with, supporting as well as inspiring and rewarding co-workers (Smith-Doerr 55). Men, on the other hand, are good team players and are always able to bring pragmatic elements with strength when it comes to influencing, analyzing and delegating task within the workplace. This means that providing equal opportunities for men and women leads to a stimulating as well as the creative environment.

Additionally, ensuring equal rights for both men and women in the workplace fosters a positive working environment. Different research works have indicated that a working environment where workers feel valued and respected by each other makes for an all-around better workplace for everyone (Smith-Doerr, 77). Maintaining a diverse group of men and women ensures that every employee is in a position to notice the talents and strengths in their coworkers that they do not have themselves. This makes the working teams better equipped to deal with conflicts as they arise and to enjoy a safe environment where every worker feels valued.

Ensuring gender equality reduces an organization’s cost of turnover. Research has indicated that men and women will leave an organization that is not flexible. An organization fostering gender diversity supports retention of employees while at the same time reducing expenses such as advertisement costs (Roscigno & Vincent, 55). Decreased turnover intentions are mainly associated with worker’s positive perceptions of the company’s diversity climate.

Moreover, gender diversity improves a company’s reputation and increases engagement as well as performance. The reputation of a company is currently more impactful than ever before. How a business is represented to its audience, investors and employees is a key definer of the overall success (Roscigno & Vincent, 65). Organizations demonstrating string records of equality and diversity are always in a position to effectively improve their reputation. When the workforce is inclusive, organizations can breed higher satisfaction levels which later increase employee engagement leading to increased performance. Providing equal opportunities to men and women helps the organization to reach more customers, for instance, a workforce that embraces gender equality reflects its customers as well as clients. The workforce also matches with the demographic that is served by the company.

Additionally, ensuring equal right and opportunities for both men and women in the workplaces reduces the burden on men. According to the Center for American Progress, male workers in America work longer hours as compared to any country in the world. Providing equal opportunities for men and women mean that men will no longer be required to work for long hours and will be having time for their families.

Maintaining equal opportunities and rights for both male and female employees attracts and retains qualified candidates. Most of the organizations with a reputation for treating and compensating men and women equally have access to large talent pools when it comes to the process of hiring and recruitment. Research has even indicated that most of the highly qualified candidates consider working for an organization if they have a belief that opportunities for economic growth will be available for them regardless of their gender. After being hired, productive employees will continue working for the organization if they believe they are being treated well (Behrens et al., 38). Lastly, men and women should be provided with equal opportunities because women, unlike men, easily excel at the soft skills required for business. Despite the fact that knowledge and technical skills are critical to career success, most of the CEOs cite soft skills as the primary considerable professional attributes. Emotional intelligence and soft skills are key competitive advantages for women as compared to their male counterparts in business.

Conclusion

It is evident from the above discussion that gender diversity within an organization provides different viewpoints, information, and ideas. It also allows the organization to serve a more diverse customer base as well as helping the organization to attract and retain talented women. It is also clear that men and women have different backgrounds and experiences shaping their approaches to business ideas. Collaborating with people and challenging each other employees who think differently promotes innovative ideas and bread creativity that pushes organizations forward. It, therefore, goes without saying that both men and women should be provided with equal opportunities and rights in their workplaces.

Work cited

Behrens, Laurence, Leonard J. Rosen, and Laurence Behrens. Writing and reading across the curriculum. Longman, 1996.

Padavic, Irene, and Barbara F. Reskin. Women and men at work. Pine Forge Press, 2002.

Roscigno, Vincent J. The face of discrimination: How race and gender impact work and home lives. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007.

Smith-Doerr, Laurel. Women’s work: Gender equality vs. hierarchy in the life sciences. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004.