UCP-PCBAManaging Diversity

Impact of Gender Biases on Career

Submitted to:

Prof. Zaeem Yaqoob KhanSubmitted by:

M. IsmailL1f07bbam0001

Section: (A)

Dated: 16 November 2010

Gender Biases and its impact on the Career

Managing Diversity Gender Biases and its impact on career

What is sex or gender discrimination?

Sex or gender discrimination is treating individuals differently in their employment

specifically because an individual is a woman or a man. If you have been rejected for

employment, fired, or otherwise harmed in employment because of your sex or gender,

then you may have suffered sex or gender discrimination.

In everyday language as well as in the law, the terms “gender” and “sex” are used inter-

changeably, but the two terms have different meanings. Social scientists use the term

“sex” to refer to a person's biological or anatomical identity as male or female, while

reserving the term “gender” for the collection of characteristics that are culturally

associated with maleness or femaleness. Discrimination is generally illegal regardless of

whether it is based on sex, or gender or both sex and gender.

Forms of discrimination:

Discrimination at workplace can take place in any form. Be it on the basis of race, gender

and religion. Newer forms of biases, which are more subtle and less visible, like age,

disability, genetic disposition, migration, sexual orientation and lifestyle are also

emerging. Every professional, be it a sales person, a journalist, an executive or a software

engineer, has faced discrimination and has a story to tell: stories of harassment and

humiliation; stories of injustice and discrimination, tales of how male colleagues' attempt

to limit professional success of their female counter parts, how one employee is being

looked down upon by other employee only because he belongs to other province, how

one’s abilities are directly judged by one’s personality or color and what not.

The most common and prevalent form of discrimination is the one based on race and

religion. Judging an individual by race and not by performance comes under

discrimination. Such behavior of an employer can humiliate an individual and put him

under stress and depression. Differences in compensation packages between employees

on basis of color or race are also an unhealthy practice. In terms of age discrimination,

younger workers are often being paid less for they are assumed to be inexperienced.

Moreover, there is a negative attitude among employers for recruiting and retaining older

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Managing Diversity Gender Biases and its impact on career

workers. Talking about gender biases, women in Pakistan still remain the largest group

that faces discrimination. Women today comprise less than 2 percent of the total

managerial strength in the Pakistan corporate sector. While more and more women are

joining the corporations now with better salaries and even at senior levels, pay equity

compared with their male counterparts is still a disappointing

Discrimination at work and its effects on career

Discrimination at work can come from either the employee of from the colleague side.

Discrimination by colleagues can happen to new employees. They may face sarcastic

stares or constant digs made at them by their colleagues during initial weeks. However, if

it persists for a long time, it can affect not only the employee but also the employer. The

effect on the employee can be huge or meager but the impact on organization remains for

a longer time. An employee who is being discriminated witnesses non cooperation from

peers and negative feedbacks form subordinates. Discrimination leads to psychological

and emotional disturbance, resulting in demoralization and descend in performance

standards. It brings down the overall performance, and fuels more discrimination, which

in turn increases the number of gaps in one's work further. Discrimination at workplace

also affects the society. The socio-economic inequalities get widened and social cohesion

and solidarity are eroded. It results in wastage of human talent and resources.

Employer's role to cut off the biases at work places

Recognizing the fact that unwanted attention to any aspect of an employee demoralizes

him, hits his performance level and ultimately results in loss to the employee in the short

term and to the organization in the long run, employers should promote a discrimination

free environment within the organization. The employer should try to be an equal

employment opportunity provider and should take affirmative actions towards disables

and other weaker sections of its workforce. To maintain bias free environment throughout

the organization, employees at all levels should be provided periodic counseling to train

them to bring out the best in their new colleagues. All employees should be made to

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Managing Diversity Gender Biases and its impact on career

understand that harassing their colleagues indirectly causes loss to the organization and

its can have adverse effects on its repute.

Fighting back against DiscriminationBe it a manager or clerk, a contract worker or the one who is on rolls, a person deserves

all the respect and benefits that come with the post. Every employee has a right to a

harassment and discrimination free workplace. As long as his performance is meeting the

standards set by the employer, he has the right to excel and grow and decide his career

path. If an employee feels discriminated on basis of physical appearance, religion, sex,

caste or age, he has every right to raise his voice against discrimination and seek a

remedy from his employer. In this context, employers need to ensure that they do not

practice any form of discrimination or micro inequality. Similarly, organizations need to

promote a harassment free culture. Now as an educated woman of twenty first century I

have realized this thing that if we want to vanish line of cultural and gender bias between

the two sexes; every one of us has to play his role fully. Secondly there is a dire need of

providing women with the fundamental privileges that Islam has given her.

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