Gender in the Workforce

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Plato once said “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things” (Ferrari & Griffth, 2000). However, in today’s world women are more educated than men, bigger risk takers, and more adaptable to our modern socioeconomic trends. Yet women in the workforce still face daily struggles in acceptance. In this essay we will explore gender in the workforce, the changing nature of that workforce, gender inequalities and what measures are being taken in correcting and modelling a new working environment. We will see that more than often women are faced with the choice of maternal instincts over career options. Moreover we will see that when faced with this choice and electing the career path, women will face obstacles including bias and traditional roles.
More and more workplaces appear to be one where organisations have only a small core of full time permanent employees, where most skills are brought in on a contract basis, either working from home or hired for specific projects (Cartwright & Cooper, 1997). Past working trends show us that women are more experienced at disjointed career patterns, dipping in and out of the labour market, with a variation of part time and contract work. In the past these patterns of working were viewed as non-committed or second class, however, women are now being preferred for their compliance in the ever changing working environment. The job for life is no longer a realistic goal for many, traditionally desired by men as they stereotypically hope to provide for the family. Today’s home environment focuses more on what is overall best for the family rather than the traditional views of the bread winner. Men and Women collectively are taking responsibility for the caregiv...

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...are men; the female unemployment rate is 8.6%, against 11.2% for men. The Bureau of Labour Statistics calculates that women make up more than two-thirds of employees in ten of the 15 job categories likely to grow fastest in the next few years (The Economist, 2012).
Overall women have an important role to play in the future workplace. Changing family roles mean that family responsibilities are shared more evenly, allowing an even playing field. This more evenly distributed working force will allow men and women to bring forth their diverse skills. This new perception of dual working and family roles can only mean for a better life experience for all. Entrepreneurial women are coming to the fore offering more chances for women to break the mould of men dominated managerial positions, allowing women the choices of their level of participation in the working place.

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