Gender Equality At Workplaces

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Written by Naomi Olaoye

Equal pay for equal effort is just one facet of the gender pay gap that exists in the workplace.

Women, particularly black women, LGBTQ+ women, and women of colour, continue to encounter challenges to rise into leadership roles are likely to suffer microaggressions – hurtful words or insensitive inquiries — relating to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity.

Leaders have a responsibility to eradicate prejudice in the workplace and reduce the gender

gap in professional progression. There are practical steps that may be taken to realize this

objective, like making salary public, providing workers with flexible work alternatives, creating educational opportunities for women, and placing an emphasis on well-being and mental health.

Employees, on the other hand, have the ability to become allies, speak out against incidents of

discrimination, and provide leaders with honest criticism in order to contribute to the achievement of gender parity on all fronts.

Let's take a look at how and when the initial moves were made in the fight against gender inequality before we begin to set out some strategies to tackle it.

The Struggle Against Gender Discrimination Began in the 19th

Century

In 1872, an attorney by the name of Belva Ann Lockwood successfully lobbied the United States.

Congress to enact legislation that would guarantee women working for the federal government

equal compensation for their work.

In 1963, almost a century and a half later, the Equal Pay Act was enacted into law, making it

mandatory for all employers to pay men and women the same salary for the same job. Women were allowed equal rights to all aspects of work by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was later revised in 1991 to make it possible for women to file lawsuits against their employers for sexual harassment.

Despite the federal prohibition against gender disparity and discrimination, it penetrates workplaces in different ways. Even if there has been some advancement, gender inequality is still very much a problem in today's society.

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