The topic of gender equality in the workplace and bridging the gender gap in terms of, among other things. salaries, promotions, holding top positions in organizations and access to resources has been widely discussed for years. Has anything changed in this area? What are women experiencing in the workplace today? What path do they have to go through to get promoted? To show what the situation of women is like today, it is useful to rely on observations and studies, of which there are more and more. They clearly show the challenges women face, as well as areas that need immediate improvement. Here are thoughts on 6 of them:
1. women earn less, including in leadership positions.
The study found that there are no significant statistical differences in the salaries of women who are not caregivers for children or the elderly and those of men. However, taking on the lifelong role of being a mother comes with significantly lower earnings. When men are earning more badges (whether competency or career ranks), women are busy with something else or have to divide their time between other responsibilities, and as a result, they get to everything more slowly. They also start from a lower salary ceiling, which is a fundamental difference that cannot be easily bridged.
2. women who speak openly about unequal or unethical treatment are stigmatized more than men.
They are also vulnerable to the so-called “incidents”. Discriminatory micro-behavior – rolling of eyes, irony, gossiping and attaching belittling patches (labeling). Terms like: “She is hypersensitive, you can’t tell her anything openly”. – are very hurtful and exclusionary. They hurt.
3. women are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions when a company is in crisis.
On the one hand, this may indicate good intentions – an appreciation of the qualities characterized by female leadership, which are needed especially in moments of crisis. On the other hand, it may suggest promotion to positions where success will be unlikely. If a woman fails, it is easier to say that it is due to a lack of competence or firmness. The fact is that men generally do not take on managerial tasks that do not guarantee success.
4. women find it much easier to negotiate career development or non-salary benefits than salary increases.
This is a problem for most women that is not going away. They can’t talk directly about the money they expect or are owed. They are much better at negotiating, for example, a shorter work week.
5 Women who have been promoted find it much harder to step into a new role than men, wanting to maintain positive relationships with co-workers.
A common reason for this is that taking on a new position involves personnel changes, reshuffling within the department and new requirements. Women are either attributed with a lack of decisiveness if they don’t do it fast enough (which is sometimes true) or find bad intentions in the proposed changes.
6 Women are much more likely than men to take on tasks that are not their responsibility.
It’s the standard – “strike the table, the scissors will speak”. Women are much more likely to reach for tasks when they are convinced they will support someone or a team. They significantly overestimate their strengths, believing that they will certainly realize it in their favorite time category, that is, in the meantime.
Assuming a supportive role at work is often due to the desire to maintain good relations and avoid potential conflicts. Overall, doing so not only entails additional work, but also leads to a decline in reputation in the eyes of others.
That’s a mere 6 points backed up by research that shows today’s gender differences in the area of leadership and the problems faced by women who want to advance their careers and get promoted, climbing to the top of power . What is holding them back in this? As you can see, these are various factors – systemic, related to the company’s culture, but also inherent in themselves.
If you want to change this or are wondering how to help women build development paths that are more welcoming and motivating for them, we have an effective solution for you. Take advantage of Kingmakers’ unique program that will comprehensively support the career development of women in your organization. Click here and see exactly what we can offer you.
