A woman's world...

A study found that hiring managers — both men and women — are twice as likely to hire male candidates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhuT0F4BArQ

Diversity In the workplace

A fascinating takeaway from my lecture this week was the celebration of International Women's Day, as well as the discussion of several themes. The conversation concerning gender diversity in the workplace stood out to me the most. As a female in the UAE, I have not encountered this difficulty because many organizations in the UAE pride themselves on diversity. However, according to a 2018 UAE poll on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, most women aspire to senior leadership roles, with 74% of women aiming to be a top executive compared to 66% of males. Moreover, the role of the government in promoting the idea that women are equally capable, ambitious, and hardworking has helped eradicate this bias.

This is not to say that the problem does not exist, and as a woman, I am very disturbed that women are being mistreated in the workplace. For example, in the United States of America, only about 79 percent of women get promoted to management level compared to their male counterparts; this is shown in a 2018 research and how the covid 19 problem has exacerbated this issue. For example, mothers are still seen as the primary caregivers for their children and households, and with layoffs during the crisis, women are expected to juggle all three of these obligations. The stereotype that women are incapable of juggling work and personal life persists in the workplace.

Benefits of gender diversity within the workplace

Looking back on my personal experience, I distinctly recall attending an interview for a position in marketing, but the marketing manager, a male, stated sarcastically that I would be more suited at the front desk owing to my appearance. This was a blatantly sexist statement, and I was angry because he implied that I couldn't work in his field since I was pretty.

Having experienced this first hand, I would like to explain why having a gender-diverse organization is extremely important. First, organizations that have a mix of female and male employees have a wider talent pool; therefore, more ideas and experiences are shared as both genders bring unique qualities to the workplace; this statement can be backed by research undertaken by professor Zhang at Harvard, where 1,069 leading firms across 35 countries and 24 different industries found that gender diversity relates to more productive companies.

Furthermore, There is also an improved sense of teamwork and collaboration among groups of women. As women, we are more likely to allow others to be heard and share more knowledge. Besides this, there will also be a more comprehensive understanding of customer needs, specifically if the organization aims products towards different genders. As well as, research indicates that companies that are more gender diverse are 21% more profitable ( Mckinsey, 2015 )

What do I aim to do next?

After analyzing this issue, it is clear that the fight for gender diversity is far from over. As a female, I intend to continue spreading the word and educating people on the importance of having a balanced workforce of both men and women, and as a next step, I hope to spread awareness in the next place of work I am in and organize workshops that will emphasize this importance. More importantly, ask the firms I want to work with what they do to be many gender-diverse workplaces.

Some ways that I will help in the fight for diversity include:

• Prioritize equal pay.

• Promote women in leadership roles.

• Avoid stereotyping.

• Implement Paternal leaves for males as well.

• Create an open-minded atmosphere.

• Have strict policies towards sexual harassment, bullying, and racism.

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REFERENCES:

• Bear, Julia & Woolley, Anita. (2011). The Role of Gender in Team Collaboration and Performance. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews. 36. 10.1179/030801811X13013181961473.

• Invensis Learning Blog. 2021. 6 Ways to Promote Gender Equality at Workplace. [online] Available at: <https://www.invensislearning.com/blog/workplace-gender-equality/>

• Linezero.com. 2021. The Positive Effects of Gender Diversity in the Workplace. [online] Available at: <https://www.linezero.com/blog/positive-effects-gender-diversity-in-the-workplace> [Accessed 3 March 2022].

• Naseba.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.naseba.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/UAE-DI-Workplace-Survey-Report.pdf.

• Strauss, K., 2021. More Evidence That Company Diversity Leads To Better Profits. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/01/25/more-evidence-that-company-diversity-leads-to-better-profits/?sh=6efbfd2a1bc7>

• Wiw-report.s3.amazonaws.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://wiw-report.s3.amazonaws.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2020.pdf>

• 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/reinventing-the-workplace-for-greater-gender-diversity> .