Despite The Issues That Have Surrounded Women In The Workplace

According to Metz (2011), women are being deprived of opportunities and being squeezed out of organisations due to preconceptions about their dedication to a long term role, based on outdated gender stereotypes. In general, women experience higher rates of harassment at work, compared to men(McLaughlin, Uggen and Blackstone 2012).

With statistical evidence having been recorded over several decades, it is evident that women, especially in the workplace, are not treated with the same respect as their male counterparts. Through the recognition of women’s struggles throughout American history and the acknowledgement of the struggles women face to this day, progress can be made in efforts to remedy the misogynistic practice of sexism.

Since World War II (1939-1945), women have entered the workforce in ever increasing numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women now account for 46 percent of the workforce, and nearly half of all new jobs created in the economy today go to women. However, despite their numbers, USA females still face gender discrimination for many reasons. They still face inequality in terms of salary and opportunities in the workplace. In addition, they might not have the same benefit as men have, such as low compensation during maternity leaves. They also might face sexual harassment in their work which affects them and the society negatively. It can drive them to have low self-esteem and less productivity at work.

No matter how accomplished a woman is within her own right, whether it be her career level experience or educational background, in most instances she will never be considered equal to a man, in the workplace, some would think. The problem and or issue is clear, the discrimination against women in the workplace does exist. Women are being discriminated against in the workplace in regards to pay, promotions, and overall gender. The law does not feel that a woman should be discriminated against or overlooked for certain jobs based on their gender. In that regard, here are laws and protocols in place to protect women in the workplace from discrimination. Amazing stories from brave women who came forward, stood up, and challenged the companies in which treated them unfairly will be presented in this paper. This paper looks to show exactly how women are being discriminated against and why they are being discriminated against. These answers will be researched and presented in part from well-known magazines and peer-reviewed journals.

In February of 2007, there was a gasoline company in Illinois that had to pay a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by four women. The lawsuit created problems for the company and it was discovered that “between 2000 and 2003, the women were subjected to fondling, lewd sexual comments and sexual intimidation by their manager’s husband, who worked odd jobs at the gasoline station” (National Petroleum News, p.10). While there are still some jobs that are better suited for males than females, there is still no reason why these circumstances should occur and women cannot be given equal chances. Even when women are given jobs, typically held by males, they are met with disrespectful behavior and subject to sexual harassment. While the EEOC now protects women, this does not stop sexual harassment from happening. What these EEOC regulations do is create more option for women to take action and for potential employers to offer women to have a stronger voice.

Women are discriminated against in the workforce on a daily basis. It is extremely hard for a women to move up in positions at work, especially compared to a man. This is one of the many reasons women have a hard time attaining a high income. Women are also often put to work at places that had little respect, but when they are given jobs that are worthy of a lot of respect they still do not get it. I have personally experienced this myself. I work

Men are increasingly claiming they’re victims of sexual harassment and sexual harassment of men does occur. The first ever court case involving sexual harassment of a man in the workplace was in 1995. The EEOC sued Domino Pizza after a female supervisor of a male store manager sexually harassed him and then fired him (Tahmincioglu, 2007). In 1998 a ruling by the Supreme Court involving a Louisiana man, who claimed he was sexually harassed by his male manager while working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, made it clear that men are protected from such harassment at work under Title VII of the Civil Rights

Sexual harassment is a type of bullying, stereo-typically towards a woman requesting for sexual favours and acts in a verbal way it is stated by rape crisis London that within their research they found that it is “ Estimates suggest that half of women in employment have been subjected to sexual harassment” (Rape Crisis London).

Unlike the majority of men, women are often over sexualized by their male coworkers and end up being treated in ways that are degrading and disrespectful. The sad truth is that if these women were in fact male they would have to put up with next no harassment, proving the unequal treatment of women in their places of work. Sexual harassment in work place first gained national attention in 19191 when President Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to US Supreme court. Thomas’s former assistant testified that he had sexually harassed her by making a series or sexually inappropriate comments, overtures and solicitations while acting as her supervisor. (Issues and Controversies) This is not the only sighted case of sexual harassment in the work place. It is reported that 81 percent of women are verbally harassed and 44 percent have encountered unwanted toughing and sexual advances (__) This form of harassment is degrading to women, putting them in a place that men perceive to be below them and shows the inequality that is present in the life of an everyday working

endemic” by Laura Bates says “Workplace Sexual harassment is one of the most difficult and insidious issues to tackle, because victims are so often in a position of vulnerability, afraid of damaging their careers or even losing their jobs altogether if they dare to rock the boat.” This statement shows how women deal with unfair situations where At work women are expected to be insecure, be smart, and efficient whereas men have to be the boss, make his own ruling, and be tough. In the work aspect women are seen uncertain of everything they do or think of doing compared to the male alfa that takes the risky choices, women are seen as unable to express or be able to share their ideas, unable to be the boss or a leader. In an article “Sexual harassment in the workplace is endemic” by Laura Bates says “Workplace Sexual harassment is one of the most difficult and insidious issues to tackle, because victims are so often in a position of vulnerability, afraid of damaging their careers or even losing their jobs altogether if they dare to rock the boat.” This statement shows how women deal with unfair situations where women are uncomfortable because they don't want to lose their jobs.

Imagine having a beautiful daughter; a daughter that was constantly happy, was bright in school and took care of herself physically and emotionally. You’d want her to be respected, cared for, and safe. Now imagine her coming home one day--hostile and scared. You’d ask her what was wrong, and if she’s like most women, she wouldn’t tell you. Then as time goes by, her straight A’s turn into C’s, D’s and F’s. She stopped taking care of herself as much as she used to, and she takes up drugs or drinking. Think of the pain and emotional shame she has in her life. Think of all the things going on in her head as she silently suffers. That’s exactly what one in five women experience in their lifetime. After experiencing and pondering on some of these things, I claim that as a result of sexual harassment, women are developing emotional and physical health issues at an unacceptable rate.

It is proven that males tend to have a way of disregarding laws and rules, which makes sexual harassment more common towards females. According to Gutek and Morasch’s article on Sex-Ratios, Sex-Role Spillover, and Sexual Harassment of Women at Work, approximately 31.5% women working in male dominated workforce have been sexually touched, opposed to the 15% of women working in general, in the conducted data (Gutek,1). Studies show that a larger percent of men have the upper workforce positions, which means that they are usually in charge or are the boss of a select few. Women need to be informed about what is considered sexual harassment, and how to define what it is. Also, understanding that when this occurs, obtaining help is crucial and beneficial not only to the women but the job in general.

For centuries, the role of women in the workplace has been a topic of controversy. In earlier times it was believed that women did not have any place in the workplace; that they should stay home and take care of the family and the home. As times have progressed, so have the gender roles, allowing women to— in many cases— accept jobs and work. However, while seeing women in the workplace is now more common, wage gaps and sexist values continue to be seen, values that have been seen since the earliest of times. Equality, “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities”(Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 1999), is lacking in the American workplace.

Despite major progressive and social changes to push for equality in the workforce, women still face challenges that have been pertinent since women were allowed to work alongside men. Even though women are receiving equal or higher education to men it is not reflected in the types of jobs women hold when compared with men. Since the 1970’s, the number of women in the labor force has increased 17 percent, and there are about as many women as there are men working today. While women are fifty percent of the labor force and earn majority of advanced degrees at universities, it tends to show different in the workplace. Aside from all the progress they are making, the higher they go in their career the harder it is for them to succeed, which is making it more difficult for them to compare to men. Sociology, or the study of human society, pertains to this topic by stating that gender inequality is not being pursued in the line of work. In chapter 8 of You May Ask Yourself, there is a section that specifically talks about inequality at work. Written in the text, you will find that the author talks about the increase of women in businesses, pay discrepancy based on gender, sexual harassment, and facing discrimination such as the glass ceiling and the glass elevator. As we talk about gender inequality, the discrimination of women in the workface started out as being “equal”. Even though men and women had different jobs, they still depended on each other to survive. Men usually did

Dozens of women are faced daily with situations of sexual harassment, ranging from humiliation to physical attacks that lead to silence for fear of losing their jobs, or feelings of guilt believing that it is they who caused the situation, only because they are women in a workforce dominated by men. I think we can all agree on that when you experience sexual harassment, you feel bad, and wonder why. Low self-esteem and feelings of guilt are situations that we never expect when we are in a job.