Sexism in Workplaces (Essay Sample)

Discrimination against Women in Workplaces
Discrimination against Women in Workplaces
Families have evolved to become more reliant on mothers as breadwinners or co-breadwinners. Over the decades, there have been dramatic changes in the way men and women navigate around their workplace responsibilities, care-giving needs alongside their personal lives. Recent surveys have shown that about four in every five families in the US are headed by either a single or both working parent. This implies that most of the families have to deal with some socioeconomic challenges. Despite the changes, women still face workplace discrimination in the 21st century.
The number of women in the workplaces, both formal and informal, has grown significantly with the prevalent social economic changes. Despite the progress, discrimination against women remains a challenge regardless of numerous cessation policies. Sexism, as it is also referred, may be direct or indirect depending on the approach (Bobbit 766).
Direct sexism is when an employee is treated unfavorably because of their gender. On the other hand, indirect sexism occurs when the employers assume on the work capabilities and capacities of either gender. Women have continuously fallen victims of unequal wages, pregnancy discrimination, unfair recruitments and unfair representation.
Over the last decades, women have made tremendous strides by moving into occupations previously dominated by men. However, there has been little progress in gender integration. Researches indicate that irrespective of their qualifications, comparatively, jobs done by women pay much less than those done by men leading to relatively higher poverty levels in women.
In addition, physical abilities and appearances widely contribute to the job segregation trends. Some employers tend to hire more physically attractive women over other qualified candidates, assuming they will bring more sales to their companies (Kabat et al. 78). Conversely, the same woman may be denied position as the employer may be afraid of a sexual harassment lawsuit based on the number of men in the same firm. Furthermore, if a woman does not appear physically capable, they may be denied promotions or opportunities as they may ap...