Gender Inequality at Workplaces

Gender Inequality at WorkplacesPrepared by:Group 10Raghav Kaundal 08357Unnati Sarasvat 08353Tijeel Kumar 08352Vatsal Poptani 08354Pallav Aggarwal 08333Vibhor Jain 083559

Submitted to:Prof. Sumita Rai

Source :Mining the metrics of board diversity. Thomson Reuters, June 2013The importance of education to the progress of women down the path to senior management cannot be understated; it is an essential building block for all business leaders. Numerous empirical studies find education to be the single most important factor contributing to wage differentials around the world. Women enrolment

was less than 10% of the total enrolment on the eve of independence

And

it has risen to 41.40%.Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Enrolment-of-women-in-higher-education-increases/articleshow/16244028.cmsThe Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) 2014 shows that women representation in the senior management of Indian corporates stands at 14%, a drop from the IBR 2013 results of 19%.

The challenge for women becomes more pronounced in the Indian culture which requires women to take up the sole responsibility for family and household duties. This might be one of the chief reasons for the fall in the number of companies planning to increase the pool of women in senior positions over the next 12 months from 42% in IBR 2013 to 38% in IBR 2014.

Source: Grant Thornton IBR 2014

Survey

Survey resultsAge group distribution

Gender group distributionPreference of male/ female bosses in their work?Are they treated equally in work place against opposite gender?Major type of problems faced by employees are Gender discrimination in the type of work and role of job.Unequal workplace treatment (shorter lunch hours, inconvenient location of washrooms).Lower salaryLower chance of promotion for female employs.Pregnant women or women with young children are at a relative disadvantage, both during the recruitment process as well as vying for opportunities at the workplace.Fear to have/ put formal complaints against their supervisor/ colleague if they face any gender inequality in work place.Fear of spoiling their carrier, they prefer to quit and leave the organisation.Stereotyping of any particular type of jobs against different gender.

Motivational Factors of Women workforceThere are a number of factors that lead woman to start their corporate barrier:Independence Independence describes the women ability to be her own leader, take responsibility and take control of her life. It is one of the main motivational factors for woman workforce. Self fulfillmentThe need to reach something has been noticed has been noticed to be an important factor among the female workforce. Self homing females seems to be performing better in her task as she also has been noticed coping stress better and being more satisfied in her job.Entrepreneurial Skills Attributes like leadership, positive self confidence and the ability to take risk if possessed by an individual is able to encourage and ensure others.

Inadequate family Income One key element or a Pushing factor for a female to work may be a weak financial situation inside a family.

Time Management This aforementioned reason is one of the important motivational factors for women to work. The society seems to demand women to take maternal role but todays women want to step out of this mediocre thinking of the mass and wants to prove themselves.

Income Todays women want to be financially independent and take care of their financial issues themselves.Indian Women Leaders & Challenges they faced in the journey to the top.

For a country like India it is not very common to see women leading the major sectors. A women at the top position may not be appreciated. Despite the difficulties there are women who rose up to the top positions & are doing better than men. I would like to elaborate this with two live examples.Anandiben Patel, First Woman Chief Minister of GujaratSheetal Mehta Walsh, Social Entrepreneur

Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of GujaratAnandiben Patel was born on 21 November 1941, in Kharod village of Mehsana district, Gujarat. Not many know this fact, but Anandiben and Narendra Modi shared the same high school. She moved to N.M. High School for her high school studies which had only three girl students. As a student she was an athlete and remained a district level champion for three consecutive years. Even when she joined college for studying B.Sc in 1960, she was the only girl in the entire college. She has excelled throughout as a student in her studies. She was awarded "VeerBala" award in Mehsana for her outstanding achievement in athletics. She joined Mahila Vikas Gruh for the upliftment of women as her first job, where she taught vocational courses to more than 50 widows. Patel joined the faculty at Mohiniba Vidyalaya in 1970, where she taught science and mathematics to higher secondary students. Later, she became the school's principal.

Patel's entry into politics began with an accident during a school picnic in 1987, when she jumped in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir to save two girls who were drowning during a school picnic, for which she received a president's bravery award. Impressed by Patel's heroism, BJP top cadre suggested Anandiben Patel join the party. She initially declined, but later, while volunteering for a drought relief program, she saw politics as a means of service and joined BJP as the Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Morcha President in 1987.Patel's first notable work was during a spread of bird flu in the Viramgam district, where she spent weeks helping local citizens and appealing to government officials to take strong action. In 1992, she became the only female leader from Gujarat in Ekta yatra (journey for unity) led by BJP, with BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi.Timeline 1994 Elected as Member Of Rajyasabha from Gujarat 1998 First election in Mandal (As an Education Minister) (2002-2012)Second and Third Election from Patan 2012 Fourthterm election from Ghatlodiya 2014 Chief Minister of Gujarat

Sheetal Mehta Walsh, Social Entrepreneur:

Sheetal Mehta Walsh is founder of ShantiLife, a social enterprise that helps the poor to access resources for sustainable living and poverty alleviation. ShantiLife provides financial literacy training, mentoring, access to eco-sanitation facilities and a low interest rate of 12%. All funds are recycled into further loans. Sheetal Mehta Walsh is about to create an online marketplace for recipients of microfinance so that they can sell their goods online globally. She is also a yoga teacher.

How ShantiLife Changed Lives of Women AcrossThe Ahmedabad Sewing School in Vatva. The community in the area are the poorest of the poor who lost everything during the 2002 riots. Illiteracy and lack of skills results in extreme poverty and poor living conditions. ShantiLife have started sewing school and hiring a trainer so that women can own their own machines and can start working independently. Finished goods will be sold locally and through the Shanti Life online marketplace.The rickshaw project in the slums in Ahmedabad and Baroda. ShantiLife supply microfinance loans to the rickshaw drivers so that they can afford a down-payment and eventually own their own rickshaw.

Gender Inequality in Developed NationsGender Inequality in Developed NationsMany developed countries worldwide, including U.S. and Australia, have made significant progress towards gender equality in recent decades, particularly in areas such as education. But what is troubling is that the gap has barely narrowed since the mid-1990s.

Case of US:Political Participation: Only 18.3% of seats in senate are held by women.Gender Discrimination in employment: According to a study conducted, men are significantly more likely to be offered a higher level of appointment as compare to women. Pay gap: With regards to the gender pay gap in the United States, International Labour Organization notes as of 2010 women in the United States earned about 81% of what their male counterparts did.Stereotyping: Research fromLawrence University has found that men were more likely to be hired in traditionally masculine jobs, such as sales management, and women were more likely to be hired in traditionally feminine jobs, such as receptionist or secretary.

Gender Inequality issue in some of the Famous companiesBetty Dukes employee face gender discrimination in Walmart.On complaining, she was demoted to lower ranks.All open positions are filled by men.Decided to go to court with 5 other women workers.Finally, court covered all female employee of Walmart and give judgement in favour of them.The lawyer, Lorene Schaefer was a top lawyer at General Electric Co., sued the company, claiming that she and more than 1500 other women executives were systematically underpaid and under promoted. Morgan Stanley bank paid $456 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed that company paid thousands of female brokers and trainees less than male brokers. Toshiba U.S. business was slapped with $100 million lawsuit for discrimination against female employees over pay and promotion.Complaint claims that Toshiba segregates women into lower pay grades positions and favour men for promotion.The lawsuit seeks to represent more than 8000 female Toshiba employees in U.S.

Challenges in Improving womens working environment and Steps for that

ChallengesFamily pressure and commitmentsWorking people believe women are less capable leaders.Men believe women are less interested in leading than men are.Men concentrate more on how to pull down women rather than trying to improve their skill set (jealousy).

Steps for overcoming challengesAudit your talent programsGender mainstreaming by UN in 1997Keep measuring successImprove work-life balance practices- flexible working hours for women.Child caring roles should be for both women and men Companies must provide access and enjoy to same rewards, resources and opportunitiesWorkplaces to provide equal remuneration for both of equal or comparable valueEqual Pay ActFull and genuine access to all occupations and industries, including leadership roles.

The Enactment of the Companies Act, 2013Mandates every listed company to have atleast 1 female director within a yearOther companies reporting minimum revenue of INR 300 crores to have at least one female director within 3 years.

Source: Grant Thornton IBR 2014 Steps by GovernmentEqual Remuneration Act, 1976- There should be equal remuneration to men and women worker for same or similar nature of work protected under the Act.Also must not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment of workers.The Industrial Employment Act, 1946- Provision regarding safeguards against sexual harassment of women workers at their work places.