Gender Equality

INTRODUCTION

The issue of gender inequality has been widely discussed and has been resonating throughout society for several decades. One of the most urgent problems facing society in the modern era is the issue of inequality in the workplace. To analyze this situation, one needs to try to get to the bottom of the issue and understand the sociological factors that contribute to the fact that women have a much harder time obtaining the same benefits, wages, and job opportunities as their male counterparts. Men throughout history have been the primary contributors to the formation of the society in which we currently live. Because men have always controlled the levers of power in our society, it should not surprise that our culture reflects the values that have been pushed to the extreme as a direct consequence of male dominance. It is essential to investigate all aspects of this issue; however, to effectively address it, one must acknowledge that the inequality that exists in the workforce stems from the fact that education is the primary factor that determines who will be employed and who will be hiring in the future. Inequalities in policy, the actual teaching situation, admission to post-secondary institutions, hiring practices, as well as job benefits and wages will be investigated in this paper. In addition to that, it will discuss the measures that are currently being taken to fix the issue and the steps that can be taken in the future to improve things.

1. CHAPTER'S DISCUSSION/DIVISION OF THE STUDIES

The global economy has been going through its worst slump in close to a century during the past few years, specifically the last couple of years. As a result, it is abundantly clear that the best ideologists, innovative thinkers, and talented individuals are required for its revival, amongst other things. Therefore, it is more important than ever before for nations and businesses to take an interest in one of the essential foundations of economic growth, which is the talent and skills of female human resources. This is because economic growth is essential to them. Women play an essential role in the world's economic recovery in various capacities, including customers, voters, employees, and employers. The necessity of rethinking, reforming, and reconstructing is not limited to just an economic and financial system alone. Without women's empowerment, involvement, and engagement, it is impossible to anticipate efficiently achieving rapid economic recovery or meeting these recent challenges. Women make up approximately half of the population, and without them, it is impossible to meet these challenges. The gender gap is not closing anywhere in the world because there are still many things that need to be done in legislation, politics, health care, and education before women can be counted in authority alongside men.

The concept of gender equality refers to the situation in which women and men hold equivalent positions in all aspects of life. On the other hand, it does not refer to the equal treatment provided to both men and women. In some circles, this concept is referred to as "gender equality." The concept of gender equality is viewed in various ways, both generally and specifically, depending on the country and its inhabitants. Within the context of the modern economy, gender roles and gender equality are inextricably linked. These two concepts complement one another to the extent that one must know both to have a complete understanding of the capacity of either. The roles assigned to each gender are roles that members of either sex can perform. These are the kinds of things commonly thought of as being stereotypical. For instance, men traditionally hold jobs outside the home while women tend to the kitchen. Men and women do not have equal opportunities to succeed in today's economy. One of the most significant problems facing our nation is the unequal distribution of power between the sexes and the traditional gender roles. How members of the public perceive individuals is based on their gender. This is ingrained in the mind at a young age and continues to be shaped and developed throughout childhood, puberty, adulthood, and even late adulthood. At each stage, there are a variety of different thoughts concerning gender and power.

This analysis will center on the feminist theory, also known as the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. One of the essential things that feminists have pointed out about the gender gap is that it is not a personal problem but rather something deeply ingrained in society's structure. The institution of marriage, families, the economy and work, religions, politics, the arts, various cultural outputs, and even the dialect we speak all contribute to the development of gender inequality. Therefore, finding social solutions rather than individual ones is necessary to achieve gender parity. When dealing with issues about gender equality, other theories, such as the conflict theory and the structural-functional theory, go hand in hand. There is a power struggle, but that is only because that is how society is organized and kept functioning.

2. PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Gender equality issues are typically addressed as a serious topic for discussion and analysis of their effect on society in areas of study such as personal, social, and health education; religious studies; and language acquisition studies.

Research has proven that gender inequality is detrimental to both health and development. This body of work continues to grow. To address the issue of gender inequality, the United Nations Population Funds states, "The empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality calls for the implementation of targeted interventions at every level of programming and policy-making. These levels include women's access to reproductive health care, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and political influence.

Research has shown that working toward gender equality between men and boys and women and girls is beneficial to achieving health and development goals.

In our country, during his speech at the National Banana Congress in October 2016, which was held at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Lanang Premier, our President, Rodrigo R. Duterte, vowed to promote gender equality. This occurred during his time in office. Even though President Duterte has been labeled a sexist and a misogynist, he has been very effusive in his appreciation of women, referring to them as heroines who have made substantial positive contributions to society. Duterte said in his message for International Women's Day that generations had been witnesses to the "amazing ways" in which women have transformed societies as mothers, workers, intellectuals, educators, caregivers, soldiers, activists, artists, and leaders. Duterte made this statement that women have played roles such as these throughout history. The President of the United States stated that "in fact, women are heroes, and the entire world may look up to women" because of their "creativity and imagination," "courage and bravery," "self-sacrifice and compassion," and "courage and boldness." According to President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines should count itself as fortunate and appreciative because it is a breeding ground for exceptional women in various fields. "The Philippines ranks high in the Asia Pacific region and the world regarding gender equality," the president added. "My administration shall strive to maintain this distinction and continue to recognize their invaluable contributions in sports, science, governance, education, public service, and the arts," the president added.

3. 2016 GENDER STATISTICS ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

The 2016 Gender Statistics on Labor and Employment (GSLE) is a valuable source of information that can be used to formulate, implement, monitor, and evaluate plans, policies, and programs that promote equality in the economic and social situation of men and women in the country. This information can be found in the Gender Statistics on Labor and Employment (GSLE) report. According to the World Economic Forum's 2015 Global Gender Gap Report, the Philippines has moved up to seventh place among other countries on the Global Gender Gap Index, moving up from ninth place a year earlier. This indicates that the Philippines is progressing toward achieving gender equality, particularly in various metrics, including economic participation and opportunities, educational achievement, health and survival, and political empowerment.

This issue of the GSLE comprises 13 chapters of time-series data on various gender-disaggregated indicators of labor and employment from 2011 to 2015. These indicators cover labor and employment. In particular, it includes information on the total population, the economically active population, employment (based on households), underemployment, unemployment, working children, youth employment, overseas Filipino workers, workforce development, employment (based on establishments), union membership, hours of work, and wages.

4. FIXING GENDER INEQUALITIES AT WORK

To Promote Gender Equality in the organization, especially at work, Feminism should start within ourselves. Feminism should begin with each of us. And there are six concrete ways for companies to promote gender equality at every step of the hiring process and career advancement. These are:

1. It should no longer be acceptable to inquire about an applicant's desired compensation during the interview process. Instead, interviewers should present applicants with a reasonable and open-handed wage range and then inquire as to where the applicants would place themselves within that range.
2. Companies should provide training and education on gender equality for all employees, no matter what gender they are.
3. To guarantee that everyone is treated the same way, there needs to be consistent review and monitoring of salaries and promotions for all workers.
4. Companies should provide a wide variety of choices. For example, some companies would provide part-time work to those who are willing or allow some employees to work from home, but they are still compensated for it. If a member of your employee's family is ill or needs assistance, you may be required to assist your employee.
5. Companies should aim for a gender balance of 50/50 in all their teams, up to the Executive levels. Providing practical assistance, such as child care, and a positive attitude are required. A man's request for an extended leave to care for his children should not be detrimental to his career.
6. Make use of the power that comes through networking. Opportunities for women to grow their professions through networking, mentoring, and coaching can assist women in building their confidence and furthering their careers.

Today's youth have a unique understanding of a successful job path. Many people strive for equality in both their personal and professional spheres. They recognize that striking a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives is essential to their overall sense of well-being. This gives a significant opening for rethinking traditional gender norms. It will be a struggle to find solutions to this problem in all spheres of society, including business, education, research, and politics. When it comes to achieving gender parity, we need to collaborate. Only then will we be able to offer the future generation the most excellent support for forming their paths in life, regardless of gender.

5. GENDER INEQUALITIES AND BIASES EXISTENCE

When "people are treated differently and disadvantageously, based on gender, in similar circumstances," we have a problem with gender inequality and bias. The following is a rundown of some of the most likely ways that workplaces are unequally treating women and men, all of which should be avoided:

 

Promotion and Advancement

It is believed that a lack of a healthy work-life balance is one of the factors that prevent women from advancing in their careers, as many women are unable to successfully juggle the demands of their careers and the responsibilities of being a parent at the same time.

 

Benefits and Privileges

Some women may feel left out at work, especially in a male-dominated field where it is assumed that women wouldn't know what the men are talking about. At first, the ostracism might not seem like a big deal, and it might start with something that seems "small" and "unimportant," like daily conversations. But as time goes on, women may stop speaking up and giving their opinions on more significant issues and company decisions because they don't want to be excluded.

 

Voice

Women's "voice" in the company's decision-making process may carry less weight if they are underrepresented in its upper management. As men are thought to possess superior leadership abilities to women, the females' opinions and feedback may not carry as much weight as their male counterparts.

 

Hiring Process

The female applicant was regarded as less qualified than the male applicant, resulting in a lower rate of acceptance and a lower salary. Imagine if all of them were the result of gender inequalities! This bias is undoubtedly common in the employment practices of numerous sectors.

6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

It is essential to recognize the ethical implications of gender inequality in the workplace since it directly impacts motivation to carry out their responsibilities appropriately. Numerous studies testify to the fact that "gender inequality is ingrained in the workplace" (also written as "gender inequality is ingrained in the workplace"). For instance, women's experiences of gender inequality in the working environment are based on inferior job stability, lower salaries compared to men, lack of respect, absence of benefits or inadequate benefits, and "susceptibility to sexual harassment and abuse." As a direct consequence of this, women have a low intrinsic motivation to carry out their responsibilities. They have absolutely no interest in creating original concepts or using creative abilities in the pg decisions. In other words, women hold negative opinions against unethical gender discrimination in the workplace.

Moreover, gender inequality is a significant problem from an ethical standpoint because it significantly impacts the connections that people make with one another. When women are subjected to unequal treatment, they frequently have trouble maintaining positive relationships with their male coworkers (both men and women). Because of this fact, unethical discrimination against women can result in specific problems at work, which can impact not only the performance of the individual women but also the productivity of the business as a whole.

In addition to this, the problem of gender imbalance in the workplace impacts the overall success of the company in the highly competitive market. Companies that do not uphold ethical standards typically have a weak corporate culture, resulting in unethical business relations at all levels. Any corporate culture predominated by men is useless in the modern-day business environment. This is because worldwide commerce advocates gender equality and does not have distinct regulations for men and women. We do not need to have personal experience with gender empowerment for us to comprehend problems of gender inequality; however, we do require intelligence to describe and distill the essential aspects of cultural processes that outline the gendered organizational reality.

As a result, it is essential to conclude that the problem of gender inequality in the workplace is significant from an ethical point of view because it relates to gender ethics. Three primary factors demonstrate why the topic of gender equality in the workplace is of substantial ethical importance:

1. The unequal treatment of women and men in the workplace is a problem that should be considered morally problematic because it has a substantial bearing on the level of motivation that women experience. Women are more likely to engage in unethical behavior when they lack the motivation necessary to complete their responsibilities.
2. The inequitable treatment of women in the workplace is a significant problem of ethical significance because it has a significant impact on the relationships between employees in the workplace.
3. The problem of gender imbalance in the workplace is an ethically significant issue since it affects how influential its corporate culture is.

The ethical principles that have been established as the foundation of a corporate culture forbid any forms of discrimination against women in the workplace. These forms of discrimination include paying women less than men do for equivalent work, engaging in sexual harassment, perpetuating prejudices and stereotypes, and misusing gender roles.