Role of Women in the Workplace

Introduction

Women have worked in the workforce for thousands of years, and for the past 60 years, their proportion in the workforce has steadily grown. Complex social movements, equal opportunity laws, the expansion of the service industry and the knowledge economy, the rising expense of living, and the ease of access to education have all contributed to this change. As the number of women joining the workforce rises, more and more of them are choosing careers in teaching and nursing, which typically require nurturing and supporting roles. Positions that were previously regarded to be solely for men like those of industries have now recorded a growing number of women (Estlund 2015).

Legislation Impacting Women in the Workplace

Over the years, there have been some legislation that have impacted the role of women in the workplace. Two of those legislations are the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975.

Equal Pay Act of 1963

President John F. Kennedy in 1963 enacted the Equal Pay Act which was among the first anti-discriminatory legislation that were against wage differences that were based on the gender of a person. This Act stated that it was illegal to pay different salaries to men and women working in the same place and with the same workload. The law required that all employers pay men and women equally when they did the same job (Daniels 2012).

Sex Discrimination Act of 1975

The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 was enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act protected men and women against any discrimination on the basis of their gender or marital status. The Act was concerned with discrimination in education, employment, training, harassment, and the provision of goods and services.

Personal Experience and Progress

A few years back as I was working part-time as a waitress in a fast-food restaurant, I witnessed a colleague go through discrimination because she was pregnant. She had requested for an adjustment in her workload as her doctor had recommended it because of her condition. The company refused to adjust her workload and instead put her on unpaid leave stating that she was unable to do her duties as required by her job description. It was unfair of the company, but in the end, the lady sued the company and was compensated. The strides that have been made by employment legislation so far have been enormously positive, gaps are closing down, and more women are taking up occupations that were traditionally believed to be for men. Between 1963 and now discrimination against women in the workplace and gender equality is the best it has ever been. Learning about the history of women’s experiences in the workforce enlightens a person on the different discrimination that women have gone through and still go through, and one also gains knowledge of the various laws that protect women against discrimination. Women get to understand that they are protected by the law and can speak out against any form of discrimination.

Conclusion

Since the year 1963, there have been significant steps that have been made and are still being made towards the end of discrimination of the role of women in the workplace. Many women are taking up roles that were seen as those of men and are being successful while at it. But just like any other vice that people are trying to abolish, it is still a complicated situation. Just like racial and religious discrimination, gender discrimination is also very disgraceful. By optimizing on women’s productivity, energy, and creativity, it will result in a win-win situation for the society in general.

References

Daniels, K. (2012). Equality, Diversity and Discrimination. CIPD Publishing.

Estlund, C. (2015). Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy. Oxford University Press.