Women in the Workplace-Their Contribution
In the past decade a dramatic increase in the number of women participating in the labor force has taken place. Since early history and the ancient civilization of man, women have played a secondary role, in which women were and still are viewed as less then a man. A women''''s role in society was that of raising children, and duties surrounding the household. Many women today want and desire careers and a place in this world. They want to stand on their own two feet, to become self-sustaining individuals, independent and free from other individuals. The one thing that is clear is that women in all careers are striving to gain equality in the work force today. The issues that have and still surround women and the workplace are many. For a long time women were at a disadvantage when it came to competing with men in the workplace. Women were not given the educational opportunities that men were, and women were stereotyped into certain jobs. Discrimination of women in the workplace has for years been feed by gender bias. Since the time when women entered the workforce they have been paid less than a man for doing the same job. Although women in the workplace have had several odds stacked against them one thing remains clear, that women have and still do make a great contribution to the workplace. Through their determination, women have been a driving force in the enactment of laws to protect themselves and others in the workplace. These laws are not just for gender discrimination but also include discrimination based on martial status, pregnancy, race, disabilities, sexual preference, and age. Women now have the ability to break out of the gender roles that were created for them by society long ago. One of the issues that has affected women in the workplace is that of stereotyping of women. Throughout history women have taken the role of housewife, mother, and nurturer. Women are stereotyped to stay at home and take care of the house and children. It has been their job to cook the meals, do the laundry, and manage the children''''s school activities.
Even today, motherhood is still considered to be the primary role for women. Women that do not take on this role are still today thought of as selfish. Women that look to establish careers outside the home, for years, were thought of as being selfish and self-centered. Because women were viewed as homemakers they were often given jobs that were meaningless, and they were not thought of as managers or professionals. Clearly, circumstances of family life have changed in the modern era. Large populations of women have, and will continue to join the workplace. Although this period of change has helped to shape the role of women today, women in corporate America are still oppressed. Even today, women are not treated the same as men. One area that clearly shows this oppression is the area of equal pay for equal jobs. The female labor force is seen as an inferior part of the work force. When looking at earnings and job distribution, a person could assume that women were in some way not as accomplished or competent as men. Another area in which women are at a disadvantaged in the workplace is through discrimination. Discrimination can be an uncomfortable situation for the women involved. There are two types of discrimination, indirect and direct, each affects women in a different way. Indirect discrimination might be a women being overlooked for a promotion. Direct discrimination may include a women being discharged from her employment because she is pregnant, or being excluded from after work group events. There are laws that address direct discrimination, however people can find very slight ways of discriminating, making it hard to prove. Even though there is