Gender discrimination refers to employees or job applicants being treated unequally or unfavorably because of their sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. Over the years, due to organizational policy changes, workplace discrimination has significantly reduced (Krishna et al., 2021). However, research demonstrates that men and women are still differently treated in the workplace. For instance, through my experience as a woman within a professional field, the following aspect depicts how discrimination still exists within the work environment.
In the professional field, women are constantly in discriminatory positions of jeopardy due to their gender. Unsurprisingly, I had to deal with sexual advances within my work environment. I have also been interrupted or ignored in organizational meetings by my male counterparts, who feel entitled even though we are in the same job position. Women also face biasness during team projects, whereby male colleagues are continually appraised for doing a good job even if both males and females contribute equally to a project (Triana et al., 2019).
These problems and treatment are emotionally derailing since it creates the notion of not being valued within the organization due to gender bias. Nevertheless, work environment discriminatory biases can be addressed through various methods. For instance, filing complaints to management is an effective way to document and handle workplace discrimination cases (Krishna et al., 2021). This is because bringing attention to management about problems within the work environment is essential in helping to formulate solutions to underlying issues. For instance, in my case, I always notify management of cases of sexual harassment and seek assistance in addressing such issues.
Anyway, discrimination in the work environment will not end soon regardless of various changes in organizational policies. However, women still need to compete in the work environment (Triana et al., 2019). For instance, when applying for a job and one gets called to an interview, there are a few things women can do to stand out. For example, during interviews, women can implement their in-depth knowledge about their expertise and express their enthusiasm and passion for their position of interest by asking interviewers questions about the job’s description. This will not only allow them to stand out as a viable candidate but also make them stand out as worthy competitors against their male counterparts.
References
Krishna, A., Kim, S., & Shim, K. (2021). Unpacking the effects of alleged gender discrimination in the corporate workplace on consumers’ affective responses and relational perceptions. Communication Research, 48(3), 426-453.
Triana, M. D. C., Jayasinghe, M., Pieper, J. R., Delgado, D. M., & Li, M. (2019). Perceived workplace gender discrimination and employee consequences: A meta-analysis and complementary studies considering the country context. Journal of Management, 45(6), 2419-2447.