As opined by Kennedy et al. (2017), gender inequality is one of the major problems that the world has been facing since the traditional times because of the manner in which they limited the opportunities which are available to the people from both sexes. Chang et al. (2014) are of the viewpoint that this inequality that the women had to face more than men has adversely affected their growth and this is perhaps one of the major reasons for the limited amount of growth that the women had attained over the years in different fields like education, jobs and other fields. More importantly, this inequality not only limits the number of opportunities that are available to them but at the same time hinders them from realizing the full potential of their lives as well (Franzway, 2017). The net result of this is that the women even in the 21st century are lagging behind in different spheres of life and despite women empowerment being the catch-phrase of the current generation they are still being relegated to the background and made to do household choirs (Tomaskovic-Devey, 2014).
As argued by Fraser, Osborne and Sibley (2015), the effect of this evil machinery is being manifested more prominently within the cannon of contemporary professional business world wherein the women despite having the best of experience as well as education have access to limited economic or other kinds of growth opportunities in comparison to men. The paper will shed light on the process of gender inequality which exists within the framework of the contemporary workplace and will also propose some recommendations regarding the manner in which this evil can be mitigated if not removed.
Toffoletti and Starr (2016) are of the viewpoint that gender inequality can be defined as the unfair or unequal treatment that the individuals had to face in various walks of their life on the basis of their gender. More importantly, recent researches have suggested that the women rather than the men are more likely to be the victims of gender inequality because of the bias of the people related to the capabilities of the individuals related to the female gender (Subaši? et al., 2018). As opined by Tomaskovic-Devey (2014), this is not a nascent concept rather it has existed within the framework of the society since the dawn of human civilization. As a matter of fact, a few centuries back it was seen that the women were not even allowed to go out of their houses without the presence of the male members of the family (Thébaud, 2015). In addition to this, it is seen that women since the traditional times have been seen as inferior to the male members of the society and this is one of the major reasons why since the traditional times they have been offered very limited number of growth or for that matter other kinds of opportunities. This biased attitude that the human society had adopted towards the members of the female fraternity has not deterred the female individuals to effectively fulfill their psychosocial needs in the most effective manner but at the same time has relegated them to the background as well (Charlesworth & Macdonald, 2015).
Warren and Antoniades (2016) are of the viewpoint that the business prospects of an organization depends to a great extent on the effectiveness with which the organization is being able to manage the male and the female employees of the organization. In this regard, it needs to be said that gender inequality forms an integral part of the Australian organizations and as a matter of fact of despite having effective HRM policies they are rarely effectively implemented within the organizations (Mayes & Pini, 2014). This inequality within the framework of the different Australian workplaces is seen at different levels of these organizations like the wages that are being offered to them, the opportunity to get designations or promotions to the higher levels of the organization, recreational facilities, compensation and benefits, perks, leaves and others (Bell, 2016). As a matter of fact, it is seen that women form more than 47% of the labor force of the nation yet it is seen that they are offered on an average $251.20 less weekly wage than the male members of the working population (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018). The net result of this the fact that the gender pay of the nation, which is more than 15.3% is one of the highest ones of the world among the developed nations (Wgea.gov.au, 2018). This is perhaps one of the major reasons why the nation which stood on the 15th position in terms of gender equality in the year 2006 slipped to the 35th position in the year 2017 (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018).
According to Johansson and Abrahamsson (2018), the women employees within the framework of the Australian business enterprises are likely to get lesser opportunities of promotion and other similar kinds of perks in comparison to men. In this regard, it needs to be said that more than 79.3% of the employees holding higher designations in the different business enterprises of the nation are male individuals in comparison to women who hold only 20.7% of these higher management positions within the framework of the organizations (Wgea.gov.au, 2018). More importantly, this gender inequality or gender bias even gets reflected in the appraisals or the increment on the existing salaries that the organizations provide to the female members of the organizations (Charlesworth & Macdonald, 2014). For example, it is seen that the women employees of the Australian organizations are likely to get 19.7% less hike or increment on their existing salaries in comparison to the men employees of the same organization (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018). In addition to these, this gender inequality even gets reflected in the retirement age of the male and the female employees of the Australian organizations. In this context, it needs to be said that for the majority of the female employees of the Australian workforce their career gets over at around the age of 50 years of age whereas for the male members of the workforce their career continues till of age of 55 to 60 years of age (Johansson & Abrahamsson, 2018). These are some of the major forms of gender inequality that exists within the framework of the contemporary Australian business enterprises.
As opined by Kennedy et al. (2017), the construct of gender inequality which exists within the framework of the different Australian business enterprises is taking a toll on the female employees of these enterprises. Fraser, Osborne and Sibley (2015) argue that one of the most adverse effects of this manifested in the performance level of the female employees of these Australian organizations. For example, the lack of growth and other kinds of opportunities that are available to the female employees of these organizations adversely affects their performance and actually deters them from performing to their maximum potential (Chang et al., 2014). This in turn affects the overall growth prospects of these organizations by adversely affecting the overall performance of the organization.
The evil of gender inequality which is a common part of the different Australian organizations reduces the job satisfaction level of the female employees of the organization because of the inadequate training, growth opportunities, salary and other opportunities that are being offered to them in comparison to the male members of the same organization (Tomaskovic-Devey, 2014). According to Warren and Antoniades (2016), this is important since it is seen that the employees who are not satisfied with the kind of work that they are doing or the kind of kind of place that they are working or for that the matter the low number of opportunities actually makes these female employees to change their jobs frequently. This is one of the major reasons for the high rate of female employee attrition that has emerged as one of the major causes of concerns for the majority of the Australian organizations (Mayes & Pini, 2014). Thus, it can be said that the evil process of gender inequality not only adversely affects the female employees of an organization but at the same time limits the growth prospects of the concerned organization in a significant manner as well.
Charlesworth and Macdonald (2015) are of the viewpoint that within the contemporary world it is seen that the national constitutions of the different nations of the world as well as the United Nations themselves offer various kinds of basic rights to the individuals so that they are being able to realize the full potential of their lives. More importantly, it is seen that these rights are common for all regardless of their gender, age, sex, cultural background, ethnicity and other aspects of their lives. For example, it is seen that the Australian Constitution holds equality as one of the most important aspects of the lives of the common people and thus this dictum is being ingrained within the constitution of the nation (Toffoletti & Starr, 2016). Furthermore, the national government has given strict mandate that the construct of equality should be followed by all the people of the nation and in case of infringement strict action will be taken against the culprits.
The process of gender inequality when viewed through this lens seems to be an abuse of this right offered by the national government of the concerned nation and also of the United Nations. The practice of gender inequality within the framework of the different Australian business enterprises not only limits the number of opportunities that are available to them but at the same is a direct infringement of the right offered by the national government of the concerned nation (Chang et al., 2014). More importantly, by limited or curbing this equality right of the female employees, the organizations at the same time hinder the effective fulfillment of the basic psychosocial needs of these employees. This in turn is likely to take a toll not only on the job productivity of these employees but at the same the level of their job satisfaction as well.
The Australian national government realizing the evil effects of the process of gender inequality or the damage that it is causing not only to the various business enterprises of the nation and also the national economy in the recent has taken various initiatives for the mitigation of this issue. In this regard, the “Sex Discrimination Act” (1984) which made discrimination on the basis of gender and also sexual harassment in the workplace and other public places a punishable offense in an important one to note (Wgea.gov.au, 2018). In addition to this, the “Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986” is another important legislation of the national government of the nation which upheld equality as one of the most basic rights of the people of the nation regardless of the gender, ethnicity and the other attributes of the people (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018).
Subaši? et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that one of the major legislations of the nation which has contributed in a substantial manner to change the status quo of the process of gender inequality which had been a part of the workplace of the nation since the traditional times is the “Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012”. This is considered to be a monumental legislation because the earlier legislations passed by the national government of the nation intended to safeguard the interests of the women of the nation in its society whereas this legislation intends to resolve the issue of gender inequality within the workplace (Wgea.gov.au, 2018). More importantly, this legislation strictly prohibits the practice of gender inequality within the various Australian business enterprises and if any organization is found to be indulging in such kind of activities then legal actions can be taken against them (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018).
The major strength of these legislations passed by the national government of Australia can be said to be the fact that these legislations by making the organizations realize the gross injustices that they are causing to the female employees of their organization has helped in a substantial manner to reduce the problem of gender inequality in the recent times. For example, it is seen that the number of women employees holding important management designations within the framework of the top ASX-listed companies of the nation was only 8.3% for the year 2009 however the percentage has increased to 26.2% for the year 2017 because of these legislations passed by the national government of the nation (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018). In addition to this, it is seen that in the majority of the Australian organizations the women employees currently are entitled to various kinds of maternity, marriage and other kinds of leaves which they were not offered in the earlier times (Johansson & Abrahamsson, 2018). Furthermore, it is seen that gradually the gender pay gap between the male and the female employees of the different Australian organizations is also reducing and in the major organizations like Apple and others it is seen that the women employees are given almost equal salary in comparison to the male employees of the organization (Warren & Antoniades, 2016).
The ineffective implementation plan used by the national government for the implementation of these legislations can be said to be the major weakness of these initiatives. For example, it is seen that in the absence of any effective implementation system and also monitoring or controlling system there are many small scaled or medium sized organizations in the nation which are still not following these legislations as well as dictums offered by the national government (Bell, 2016). This in turn reduces the effectiveness as well as the efficiency of these legislations passed by the national government of the nation and thus it can be said that there is a need for more stringent action or initiative on the part of the national government of Australia.
There are various measures that the national governments as well as the business enterprises of Australia can take the help of in order to mitigate the adverse effects of the problem of gender inequality. Some of the most important ones are listed below-
Conclusion
To conclude, the process of gender inequality is as one of the problems that the world has been facing since the traditional times and more than the male individuals it affects the female individuals. The process of gender inequality forms an integral of the contemporary business enterprises of the different organizations of the world and more particular that of Australia. Gender inequality not only limits the number of opportunities which are available to the women employees of the Australian business enterprises but at the same limits the performance of these employees and thereby the overall organizational performance itself. It is pertinent to note that the national government of Australia has taken several initiatives for the mitigation of this problem and have contributed in a significant manner towards the improvement of the condition of female employees within the Australian business enterprises.
References
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