Gender Bias in the Workplace

Gender bias remains one of the most contentious issues throughout human history. It involves the preferential treatment of one gender over others. This bias can occur consciously or unconsciously. Historically, the issue has had a great impact on everyday aspects of human life including social interactions, relationships, education, and occupation. For a long time, many cultures restricted the role of women to homemaking. On the contrary, men enjoyed great freedom and the privileges that allowed them to attain self-actualization.

In the 21st century, gender bias has gained considerable attention. Globally, gender activists are increasingly engaging in peaceful demonstrations to highlight the plight of men and women in societies that favor one gender. They have fought many legal battles to ensure equal rights, freedoms, and opportunities for men and women. In the past century, Courts across the world have revoked or amended many laws that favored one gender over others. Despite these milestones, the preferential treatment of one gender at the workplace, school, home, and other social settings remains rampant.

            In the workplace, gender bias manifests primarily through the preferential assignment of duties to employees of different genders based on the assumed ability to complete specific tasks. This preferential treatment creates opportunities for employees of a particular gender to thrive while stifling the growth and development of persons of other genders. Gender bias in the workplace can involve better working terms and conditions for men compared to women with similar qualifications and experience. The men may enjoy better wages and prompt job promotions compared to their female counterparts. Another common pattern of gender bias in the workplace involves assigning men tasks or responsibilities that require problem solving and decision-making while women take tasks that primarily involve different aspects of human interactions. Currently, the number of men holding supervisory roles in the workplace is significantly high in comparison to women with similar qualifications. The opponents of women assuming supervisory roles have cited numerous reasons including absurd claims such as female workers are likely to miss work-related deadlines due to family responsibilities. 

            To resolve gender bias in the workplace, organizations must implement policies and procedures to ensure equal opportunities for their male and female workers. These policies should prioritize the individual’s academic qualifications, work experience, and capabilities regardless of gender. Organizations’ managers and supervisors must understand that gender is the least important consideration when assigning duties and responsibilities. Multiple studies have demonstrated that women can effectively perform tasks traditionally intended for men and deliver excellent results. Creating gender-diverse work teams optimizes the strengths of different individuals leading to enhanced productivity in the workplace.

            In conclusion, implicit and explicit gender bias is a major cause of the huge gap in the social, economic, and political attainment between men and women. Although a lot of effort has gone into empowering women in the different domains of life, ongoing initiatives at the personal and institutional levels are vital to the social, economic, and political actualization for women. Eliminating gender bias will allow women to thrive and influence the world in the best way.