GENDER INEQUALITY : Three factors that lead to gender inequality in the workplace.

 

   

 Although the term “gender inequality” is prevalent in the world, there is no profound

transformation of gender relations, especially in the workplace. It is not exaggerating to say that only 6 countries in the world give women the same legal work rights as men (World Bank, 2019). The issue of gender inequality in the workplace will worsen if these factors are left attended, such as lack of education, indifference to law enforcement, and job segregation.

    Firstly, lack of education about gender equality is the main factor that results in gender inequality in the workplace. Gender inequality in the workplace always begins at school. How students perceive themselves in society is shaped to some extent by what they experience at school, including by how gender equality is represented in textbooks (Global Education Monitoring Report, 2021, March 31). If the textbooks are deprived of education on gender equality, they are unconscious of how serious gender inequality affects women’s health and well-being. Therefore, gender inequality will happen unconsciously when they step into the workforce if the education about gender equality is incomplete.

As we know, laws are vital since it keeps everyone safe and ensures our rights against abuses by others. However, the gender inequality problem in the workplace will arise when the government looks cold and indifferent in enforcing the law. Government always takes a long time to pass a law in parliament and be gazetted. For instance, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill (AGC) which has been drafted in 2000 took about 20 years to be passed (Zarizana, 2022). The slow movement of the government in solving this issue has proved that the government is not really emphasizing the gender inequality issue. Women have to face sexual harassment, bullying, workplace violence, and other types other discrimination that eventually causes the gender inequality issue to occur in the workplace.

    Last but not least, job segregation is another factor in why gender equality will occur in the workplace. In most societies, there is a stereotypical belief that men are better equipped to handle certain jobs (Gerdeman, 2017, September 11). Most of the time, those are the job that pay the best. For example, many private sectors will consider men as a priority in the main position such as manager while women will be the assistant manager. This gender discrimination causes low income for women and results in gender inequality in the workplace.

    All in all, many factors result in gender inequality in the workplace. Everyone should make a concerted effort to fight against this gender inequality issue so that it can be removed

from our society to make progress in our country.