"She works hard for the money"—Donna Summer said it best.
While so much of Western workplace culture has changed and continues to change—in terms of the wage gap, parental leave, and various initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between men and women in the workplace to create a more equitable balance of input and output—there are some unique challenges that women face that may never be completely "solved."
And are these problems to be “solved” or simply to be “better recognized”? The benefit of focusing on equality in the workplace is that everyone has access to the same initiatives and opportunities, and everyone is encouraged to succeed and supported in doing so. And equality certainly has its place and is an essential pillar of building a great workplace culture. But treating everyone the same doesn’t necessarily help the most disadvantaged employees move forward; it merely levels the playing field slightly. Women will continue to face unique challenges in the workplace that are often overlooked or not addressed in policies and procedures—and yet they are also expected to handle the same workload as their male counterparts, remain ambitious, actively pursue salary reviews, and contribute to the company’s strategy and overall performance.
Women often work in male-dominated workplaces, which forces them to adopt more masculine leadership styles
It would be remiss to suggest that there are not, in many cases, key differences in the way men and women work. Another way to look at this is to focus on the concept of "masculine" and "feminine" skills—better known as "hard" or "soft" skills. Hard skills include data analysis, strategy, financial acumen, and so on. Soft skills include empathy, synthesizing ideas, interpersonal skills, etc. When women are placed in environments where hard/“masculine” skills are prioritized over their often (but not always) natural soft skills, they often adapt to suit this environment and become more hard-edged and more aggressively ambitious. In doing so, workplaces miss out on a critical skill set as the more domineering masculine way of working is idealized.
Women juggle caregiving and family responsibilities as well as their share of the household income.
Women not only contribute financially and pay bills and mortgages—they also spend a significant amount of time caring for and providing hands-on support to family members. This initially involves children, but can also include elderly parents and siblings. And while caring for others is not a uniquely female role, the difference for male colleagues is that they have not already taken maternity leave, left the workforce, returned, and had to rebuild their careers. Periods of absence from work mean less financial stability, and women are often required to give up financial independence in order to have children, whereas men are rarely asked to do so.
Women are cyclical by nature
The menstrual cycle affects energy levels, yet women are expected to maintain the same energy output every day of the month. All employees are subject to the same sick leave policy for occasional and unexpected periods of illness. Where women are at a disadvantage is that they often experience a predictable monthly period of illness or discomfort, which is not recognized or considered a valid reason to use this leave. Periods can range from excruciatingly painful to completely manageable—every woman is different. But we know that hormonally, the body seeks a period of rest, lower energy output, and reduced physical and mental capacity. Women are even advised to do fewer cardio/HIIT workouts and instead opt for gentle walking and yoga during their menstruation. And while women can make adjustments in their home life to accommodate their cycle and lower energy levels, they rarely have that option at work.
Statistically, women are more likely to be paid less than their male counterparts—a phenomenon known as "the gender wage gap"
We know that male employees have more discussions with employers about salaries than women do. Society has placed a great deal of emphasis on male colleagues’ flair for assertively communicating their monetary worth and securing more frequent pay raises. But this is far more than just a stereotype. If, as mentioned, hard skills continue to be prioritized in business, then salary negotiations are another example of situations where women are forced to operate within that masculine, assertive framework in order to succeed. Add to this periods of absence from work due to maternity leave, menstrual leave, or anything else that is mistakenly viewed as a lesser commitment to the business than that of male counterparts—and getting that pay raise can become very difficult.
As we've seen, focusing on equality in the workplace is simply not enough, because treating both women and men in the workplace the same implies that we all enter the workforce with the same baggage and the same challenges. But that simply isn’t the case. It’s important that we celebrate and acknowledge women’s amazing and extraordinary ability to balance both family life and career development; and that we stop placing women in environments where they are forced to act like men and adopt masculine ways of working.
Here are FOUR ways businesses can specifically address the challenges facing women:
- Focus on training programs that develop both technical and soft skills in the workforce. We need both feminine and masculine skill sets.
- Ask better questions about what a woman’s family situation looks like when she starts a new job, with the intention of helping—not judging.
- Let employees know that sick leave is available for menstrual-related absences. Make this clearer. Alternatively, consider offering a flexible arrangement, such as hybrid workdays from home during a woman's menstrual cycle.
- Publish the current wage gap within the company and require annual salary reviews.
And hopefully, with these initiatives, we can begin to see a brighter future for women, where their unique gifts and skills are valued, and their equally unique challenges are respected and supported.
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