Girls can’t do that!
Girls can’t do that, is sadly the phrase a lot of us having been hearing our whole lives whether we realized it or not. Since that time, we were little girls about the simplest things like, girls don’t sit like that, that’s not very ladylike, etc. all the way through adulthood in the workplace and in an academic setting.
According to the U.S Census women represent 58.3% of the U.S workforce, while men represent only 41.7 present/ (US Census) According to these statics there are more women than men in the workforce, yet we are statistically paid less and are required to care of duties in the house as well. 23.5 million women in the workforce also have children under 18 and work full time.
Many people when thinking about diversity think race. This is not that only form of diversity. Diversity can include race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, and academic/professional backgrounds. Gender diversity is just as big of an issue you as race it just might be more in the unconsciousness of our actions.
References
Boskamp, E. (2022, September 14). 60+ incredible diversity in the Workplace Statistics [2022]: Facts you need to know. Zippia 60+ Incredible Diversity In The Workplace Statistics 2022 Facts You Need To Know Comments. Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://www.zippia.com/advice/diversity-in-the-workplace-statistics/#:~:text=Gender%20Diversity%20in%20the%20Workplace&text=States’%20labor%20force.-,According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Census%2C%20women%20represent%2058.3%25%20of%20the,of%20different%20races%20and%20ethnicities.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
How would you define diversity? – UNC gillings school of global public … (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://sph.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/112/2013/07/define_diversity.pdf
The Working Moms Report for 2022: Breezy HR. RSS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://breezy.hr/blog/working-moms-report
It is often so frustrating as a woman to constantly hear that I cannot do something simply because of being a woman. At my job, we are predominantly women as well. However, there is one position many of us have wanted to do and try but anytime a woman sets herself up to do it, the leaders always put her somewhere else and swap a man in to do it for us. It is often exhausting to me mentally to be in such a place where what I supposedly cant and can do is up to something I had no choice in.
This certainly is the case. In many different scenarios, women are quick to be told that they can’t do something. I wonder if the assessor is evaluating the woman based on her ability to fulfill the job characteristics, or their preconceived notion of women. A research study by Öneren et al. shows “there is a general perception that the most important duty of women is being a mother and a housewife.” This may contribute to the lack of seriousness employers have for women in the workforce. Unfortunately, due to societal expectations of women, I’m sure this affects the self-esteem of women in the workforce, which is a core self-evaluative trait in the five-factor model of personality. This is an important component of job satisfaction. It seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy, doesn’t it? But I’m sure there’s a way to break it. With more women entering the workforce, I believe policies will change that will benefit women.
References
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology : Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Öneren, M. , Çiftçi, G. E. & Özder, N. (2014). The Perception of Women Workforce Among Workers . İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi , 3 (2) , 324-358 . DOI: 10.15869/itobiad.86462