25% Indian women suffer from unequal career opportunities: Study

Workplace problems that women face must be reported at once

The working women of our country encounter maximum problems at the workplace but are also most likely to speak up about about them, a recent study states.

The study, conducted among G20 countries, cites that work-life balance topped the list of challenges Indian women faced in the working environment.

Apart form the aforementioned issue, more than 25% women cited unequal career opportunities as the chief issue in the workplace according to the poll conducted by Ipsos MORI, a UK-based market research firm.

It was also mentioned in the study that though the gender pay disparity was the highest in India, over 60% women were pretty sure they earned the same as their male counterparts doing a particular role.

With a growing number of Indian women joining the workforce, one would think that most corporates have broken out of certain job-related stereotypes when it comes to gender equality in a working environment. But sadly, women still face tremendous challenges at work, especially with jobs which have been traditionally considered male-dominated work roles.

If the report is to be banked upon, it is remarkable that Indian women have begun to speak up on their rights in the workplace.

Workplace problems that women face

If you are a working woman, read on to know how to protect your rights at the workplace if faced with common workplace issues:

Achieving work-life balance

A woman is said to be better at multi-tasking than a man, but balancing roles at the workplace and at home flusters the working woman. This especially becomes more challenging for the working mom. Indian women are expected to excel at domestic jobs as they are traditionally considered women-centric. If you feel yourself unable to manage strike a balance between work and home, speak with your supervisor about it. Discuss possible work from home or a flexible hours option for your role.

The glass ceiling

Despite being at par with men on the educational and work experience front, it has been observed that very women rise up to leadership roles, possibly because of the management’s concern about the working woman being able to denote enough time to work after a baby. At any instance if you feel you deserve that their has been an unfair decision with regards to appraisal, do not hesitate to discuss it with your manager and the HR. For this, it would be better if you be clear with goal-setting when you begin your stint with the organisation.

Sexual harassment

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013 clearly indicates that every establishment which has more than 10 employees need to comply with the act. Shockingly, many women choose to ignore forms of sexual harassment as they may be difficult to prove or result into secondary consequences. Collect or record as much evidence of harassment over a period. Then, do not waste any time in informing the HR or the women’s cell about it. You have every right to enquire about the laws that support the woman at the workplace.

Pay discrimination

A woman is often paid lower than her mail counterparts for the similar job description as it is still assumed that her primary focus lies in managing the household and not the office. While salaries are rarely openly discussed in office, approach the women’s cell or the HR if you find out that there is a pay discrimination purely on gender.

Would you want to add more to the list of workplace problems that women face?

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