Essay on Analyzing Gender Inequality in the Workplace Through the Lenses of History and the Humanities

Lenses of History

Humanity relies on history to determine the extent of progress made in civilization and humanity as a discipline. Consequently, examining an event through a historical lens involves utilizing different sources such as newspapers, books, diaries, art, magazines, pictures, oral testimonies and artefacts to trace a chronological pattern of the occurrence of an event phenomenon. The gender equality phenomenon is a crucial historical event that signifies the growth of women rights from the reconstruction era to the neoliberal era (Riise, 2019). As such, the analysis of gender study analysis of gender equality will provide an in depth understanding of the history of women labour movements from civil rights movement to the neoliberal era.

Across the globe, women are continuously subjected to inequalities and toxic environment in not only the community level but also at the workplace. In many societies, patriarchy remains the main theme resulting in neglect and denial of women’s status and rights. However, history shows that the gender inequality picture is slowly shifting from a patriarchy society to a matriarchy society (Chang and Milkman, 2020). For instance, in the United States women gained the right to vote 100 years ago and later produced the first woman black president in 2020. Similarly, countries such as Finland and Australia are leading the strife for gender equality by producing the first female cabinets and president respectively.

Similarly, the gender makeup of the workplace has been altered dramatically since the 1970s which was characterized by considerably fewer women, minorities, and elderly people. The growth of women empowerment groups in the workplace along with the women rights have been a focal point for driving women agenda in not only the workplace but also the political forums. There has been a significant rise in immigrants, individuals ‘coming out of the closet,’ Individuals being allowed to express themselves, and, for the most part, companies are adapting to keep up with the changes.

The Center for American Progress notes that racial minorities made up 36% of the work force in June 2012 (Francis and Weller, 2021). In recent decades, there has been a significant growth in the number of immigrants, resulting in a rapidly diverse work force in the United States. Consequently, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics observed that the younger generation of people aged between 20 to 35 years will increase twice the number of baby boomers in the workforce currently. In addition, the organization projects the minority labour force in 2020 to increase by 7% from 13% in 2020 to 20% in in 2050 (Trask, 2017).

History teaches us about our own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the consequences of our actions. We’ve recognized that hatred isn’t the way to progress, and that in order for mankind to advance we must come together, evolve and practise ways in which we can coexist in harmony. Workplace diversity is key in promoting a gender neutral environment whereby each employee is not only satisfied financially but also psychologically. The promotion of gender equality is crucial in increasing employee productivity since workers can compensate each other’s shortcoming. In addition, since no two people are identical in terms of limits and talents, having a diverse group allows employees to indirectly benefit from one another and the organization as a whole.

References

Chang, E. H., & Milkman, K. L. (2020). Improving decisions that affect gender equality in the workplace. Organizational Dynamics, 49(1), 100709

Francis, D. V., & Weller, C. E. (2021). Retirement inequality by race and ethnicity. Public Policy & Aging Report, 31(3), 83-88.

Risse, L. (2019). Economics and Gender Equality: A Lens from Within. Capitalism & Society, 14(1).

Trask, B. S. (2017). Alleviating the stress on working families: Promoting family-friendly workplace policies. National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), 2(1), 1-6.