CLOSING THE GENDER GAP: How the initiatives around Gender Gap are creating profound changes in the world!

Eduniversal World Convention 2017 was hosted at the American University of Dubai between 8-12 November, 2017. This is the essence of the speech and presentation given by the author on the occasion.

The fact that there is a Gender Gap in our world was a given fact and known to be true. However, the World Economic Forum in 2006 highlighted the extent of the gap over 144 countries in various aspects. An annual measurement and tracking index enabled many countries to take targeted initiatives with the intention of closing the gap and bringing equality to the sexes. Therefore proving that what can be measured can be managed.

WHAT IS THE GENDER GAP?

The Gender Gap is understood to be ‘disproportionate difference or disparity between the sexes. The WEF studies gaps in outcomes that men and women achieve in the labour market, primarily education, pay, job opportunities and political power. Different types of gaps have been identified such as:

• Pay Gap – women are paid less than men for doing the same jobs. Even in traditional women oriented jobs, such as nursing, male nurses get significantly higher pay than women.
• Workforce Participation Gap – This relates to age of entry and exit in jobs. Women tend to exit the workforce at a much younger age than men
• Employment Gap – the number of women employed in almost all professions is less than the number of men employed, with the exception of certain women oriented jobs like teaching, etc.
• Unemployment Gap – Women even get more pink slips and are rendered unemployed more than men
• Training Gap – in organizations, women get less training than men
• Management Gap – as you go higher in organizations, the proportion of women in the workforce falls sharply thus pointing out to the glass ceiling
• Gender Engagement Gap (+) – When it comes to engagement levels, the gap is positive, indicating that women are more engaged in their work than men
• Gender Job Satisfaction Gap (+) – Here also is a positive gap indicating that women tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction than men

GENDER GAP – CAUSES

• Cultural values – different cultures put a premium on masculinity or feminity. Asian cultures predominantly support a male-dominated socio-cultural milieu. Cultural conditioning is very deep and change happens slowly, if at all.
• Education – Girls receive less education than boys. It’s a fact and since they are less educated, there tends to be fewer numbers of women in the workforce.
• Family values and conditioning – there are many differences in the way that boys and girls are brought up
• Segregation in occupations – some occupations like nursing, teaching etc. tend to be stereotyped for women and others are stereotyped for men. This can become a barrier for women with dreams that cross these Glass Wall boundaries.
• Discrimination – overt and covert discrimination that isolate women and limit their growth and membership of the workforce are rampant. Glass ceilings, men’s clubs, and other misogynist practices discriminate against women in the workforce and create gender gaps.

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP: WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE

It’s a moral issue that makes economic sense too. Many intiatives at public policy level, organizational Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, Ngo activity, Civil society movements, financial empowerment through loans for women and entrepreneurs, education and training and many such efforts are proving to be a step forward in the direction of narrowing the gender gap.

According to World Economic Forum, statistical progression says that economic disparities between men and women will be closed in another 118 years, (2133 AD)

The same report says that women with political power will achieve parity too and we will see participation of women in political structure of nations.

While economic gaps are narrowed, the real changes at the level of culture, social interactions and inner psychology, the narrowing of gender differences may take longer and equality may not happen so easily and so soon.

The fallout of economic equality of women on male psycho-socio-cultural aspects cannot be assessed at this stage but for now the hope is that the future will see a better man-woman equation.

Aneeta Madhok, PhD, CMC, GPHR

Enabling leaders to find solutions to managing their leadership style and their team members for results.

Managing Director – Open Spaces Consulting