What is Gender Equality in the Workplace?

Gender equality in the workplace is the idea that all employees, no matter their gender, have the same access to rewards, opportunities, and resources. This would include:

• equal pay and benefits for the same role with similar duties.
• equal opportunity for promotion and career advancement.
• equal consideration of needs.

For the majority of history, women have been expected to stay at home. Men were seen as more capable of working, both due to their physicality and the perceived mental inferiority of women. Even when women started to show up in the workplace, they were given jobs that were seen as “women’s work.” An example of this would be secretaries who were hired to take care of the male executive. Women were considered more suited for nurturing jobs, as this went along with society’s perception of gender roles. As time went on and more women began to work, the obstacles they faced were numerous. One of the biggest obstacles were the household duties that women had to do along with working regular business hours. Even today, women are more often in charge of the majority of household work and bringing up children. Women are expected to take time off work whenever a child gets sick or has to be picked up from school early. This expectation has caused men to be prioritized when it comes to work and often women are forced to work fewer hours or aren’t thought of for promotions due to their lack of dedication to the job. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this issue to the forefront of the gender equality in the workplace movement. The way we work has changed during the pandemic and women have been on the losing end. When children were sent home from school in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19, women were often the ones forced to do most of the supervision. For women with small children, for example, they often stepped in as assistant teacher as online learning is virtually impossible for children under the age of eight. Single mothers were also negatively affected by COVID-19 as they had to somehow balance both work and take care of children with little or no help from someone else. A lot of women lost their jobs during the pandemic, which is just another example of gender inequality in the workplace.

Some Important Statistics on Gender Equality in Canada

If we are going to look at gender equality in the workplace, we should take a moment to look at some of the statistics surrounding the issue. The following are some statistics behind gender inequality in the Canadian workplace:

• Women make $0.71 for every dollar men make.
• In 2020, only 53.9% of women were employed while 62.1% of men were employed.
• In 2020, only 75.6% of those women were employed full time, while 87.7% of men were employed full time.
• Women spent 15% of their time caring for their families while men only spent 10% of their time doing the same tasks.
• 35.9% of management positions were held by women, while 64.1% of those positions were held by men.
• Businesses owned by women only made up 18.4%.

There are many other statistics that look just like this, but the main point is that women are still underrepresented and underpaid in most workplaces. Gender inequality in the workplace is an ongoing issue, so it is important to find ways to fix the problem.

Effects of Gender Inequality in the Workplace

Gender inequality has many adverse effects, such as:

• Workplace conflict: if certain people get preferential treatment in the workplace, it can make gender inequality more obvious. For example, if a male and female employee have the same qualifications and work experience, but one gets more opportunity for advancement, then tensions could arise.
• Poor employee morale: having inequalities in a workplace can negatively affect how people feel about their jobs. When there is poor employee morale, there can be more turnover which can then affect your bottom line. It’s important to address any inequality issues that may arise so that it does not cause more problems.
• Reduced productivity: it can be difficult to feel motivated if you feel you are being treated unfairly. If gender inequality is seen in the workplace, women might be less productive as their work is not being appreciated in the same way as their male counterparts.
• Possible legal issues: if there’s clear evidence of gender inequality in a workplace, then the company can get into legal trouble. Anything that could be considered discrimination can be brought up in the courts, causing major issues for the company. It’s important for companies to know that their actions towards both genders can be scrutinized if inequality issues come up in a legal battle, so it is in your best interest to promote gender equality in the workplace.

Benefits of Gender Equality in the Workplace

It can be of great benefit for a business to work towards gender equality. Some benefits are:

• Positive company culture: having gender equality in a workplace means that all employees are more satisfied with the working environment. Employees appreciate a positive work environment, so creating balance between the genders can be a great way to show your workers that you care about their overall wellbeing.
• More innovation and creativity: men and women think differently, which means having a space where both genders can work together in an equal manner can increase innovation.
• Good reputation: being known for gender equality in the workplace can enhance the image of your company. People like doing business with companies who stand on morale ground, so promoting gender equality can also promote your business.
• Improved conflict resolution: the more diverse your employees, the more diverse your conflict resolution will be. This means that problems can be solved quickly which positively affects company-wide success.

Related Article: 7 Effective Skills to Help You Become a Better Leader

How to Promote Gender Equality in the Workplace

Here are ten steps you can take to promote gender equality in your company:

1. Review hiring practices.

It’s important for companies to take a look at their hiring practices when thinking about equality in the workplace. When setting out to find new employees, look for a wide range of candidates from different backgrounds and genders. Make the evaluation process blind so that bias does not become a factor. Another way of improving your hiring practices is by changing how you describe the job in a job posting. Try not to attach a gender to the role when describing the perfect candidate so that when the description is read, it’s obviously open to anyone.

2. Review the Pay Equity Act.

The Pay Equity Act is an act put out by the government of Canada which creates rules and regulations around pay equity. The act requires employers to review the pay rates of all their employees to make sure that each person is paid in a fair and equal manner. This process has to happen once every five years and will be conducted by the Pay Equity Commissioner. 

3. Perform a pay audit.

Consider conducting a pay audit to see if your male and female employees are paid comparably. This may help you identify if you offer equal employment opportunities to all employees. The best way to do this is to seek help from an HR professional so that the process is as unbiased as possible. Make sure to include all employees on the audit, so that everyone receives equal treatment. When you become aware of gender pay gaps, take steps to remedy them as soon as possible.

4. Become transparent when it comes to salaries.

Make information on people’s salaries open to anyone working in the company. By having more transparency, it allows employees to know that they are being treated fairly. If any disputes about equality in the workplace come up, then you can point to these resources to help you explore possible solutions.

5. Invest in female leaders.

By making a conscious decision to have more females in leadership positions, your company can increase its gender equality. It’s important for women to see other women in leadership positions so that they can aspire to be leaders in business. Having women in leadership positions promotes gender equality in the workplace.

6. Increase flexibility to accommodate family responsibility.

Working moms are still mainly responsible for the family, meaning they have to balance home and work life. By making it easier for women to work around the family schedule, you make it easier for women to have the same engagement with their work as their male counterparts.

7. Create an open-minded environment for all workers.

By having a space where all workers can feel appreciated and heard, you are able to promote gender equality. Women should feel comfortable in the workplace and be safe from harassment. Actively working towards gender equality also means creating space where everyone feels safe. Have strict policies on workplace harassment and have an open-door policy when it comes to complaints.

8. Implement mentorship programs.

Mentorship programs can be very beneficial for a company. Not only does it show your workers that you care about their career advancements, it allows newer employees to learn from those who have been with you for a while. This can also help you create a community amongst your workforce which adds to the positive work environment.

9. Keep accurate records.

Having the proper documentation of each employee’s roles, skills, and qualifications can be vital when considering career advancement. By having details that describe each employee in terms of their skills is a great way to ensure gender equality as it documents the qualifications rather than personalities.

10. Update training manuals

By updating how you do training, you can create a more inclusive work environment. If workers need to update their skills, make sure that each employee gets the exact same training and opportunities for learning.