We live in a society where women are neglected and looked down upon for no valid reason. Regardless of their academic qualifications, people think they don’t deserve to get good jobs, promotions, better salaries, and advancement in career opportunities.
Men believe they should be in the kitchen, not chairing a board meeting. This has subjected them to all sorts of challenges in their organizations.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment at work is one of the major challenges to the development of career women.
People in senior positions make it difficult for women to report such cases, despite them being against the law.
As a result, women end up being depressed, having low self-esteem, sleeping disorders, and sexual dysfunction. Such actions cost the employer in several ways, including increased absenteeism and low productivity, and some employees may quit their jobs.
Gender pay gap
The gender pay gap refers to the measure of the amount of money that employers pay men and women.
According to a recent study, women earn 34% less than their counterparts doing the same job with similar qualifications and years of experience.
The entry-level position of women pays very low rates, and the wage gap continues to increase as they climb the ladder.
Their efforts to negotiate for better pay have borne no fruits over the years. This affects women negatively, especially in families where they are the sole breadwinners.
Representation of women
Women are underrepresented at different levels of their careers. If they are in leadership positions, people don’t value their opinions due to gender stereotypes.
About 60% of female employees face discrimination and other challenges in their workplaces. More than one-third of these women are denied leadership positions.
Organizations need to ensure gender equity. Research has proven that women make better leaders compared to men.
Women who lead ensure increased productivity, organizational collaboration, better problem-solving, good mentorship skills, and improved employee engagement.
Pregnancy and maternity discrimination
Employers can discriminate against female employees for being expectant or having kids with special conditions, thus demanding more attention from parents.
Examples of pregnancy discrimination include failing to hire someone because of their status, firing or demoting someone, verbal harassment, not being willing to offer reasonable accommodations, or not being ready to give you a private room to pump breast milk.
Some employers believe that expectant moms can’t deliver on their assigned tasks. As a result, many young moms lose their jobs, which is a significant challenge.
Imposter syndrome
Some women don’t appreciate their achievements, and neither do they believe in their abilities.
This creates self-doubt, resulting in low self-esteem, low moods, a lack of concentration, and eventually poor performance at their workplaces.
Women should have a good support system and surround themselves with people who encourage and motivate them.
Today, women only apply for jobs where they meet 100% of the qualifications as opposed to men who apply when they meet half of the qualifications,.