Discriminating Environment for Women in the Workplace

The 19th amendment, passed in 1920, gave women the right to vote. It was seen as a step towards achieving gender equality, but the sexism and exploitation of women in the workplace has sustained for a long period of time since then. Despite having the ability to vote, women did not earn equal pay as men until 1963, when the Equal Pay Act was passed to combat gender discrimination. The Equal Pay Act and 19th Amendment could be seen as major progress for women, but it actually took away attention from the issue of gender discrimination instead of helping to achieve gender equality.

Women suffer the consequences of things men could never, solely based on a gender difference. For example, pregnant women are constantly discriminated against in the workplace. Hrw.org depicts the gender discrimination against women in the workplace, “If a pregnant woman is seen as working ‘slowly’, her contract won’t be renewed.” Women are being inflicted with troubles for factors they have almost no control over. Many workplaces try to cover incidents such as this, however several articles have exposed the exploitation of women in the workplace.

The discrimination within the workplace can have a significant impact on someone’s mental heatlh. Women are constantly facing issues among the workplace such as lower pay, longer hours, and the universal experience of sexism. Mary Chinery-Hesse states, “Women's progress in the workforce over the past 10 years has not meant greater access to quality jobs, nor has it brought an end to discrimination.” This statement proves that despite the “progress” occurring in the workforce through several amendments and new regulations, ultimately women continue to face discrimination which is often disregarded.

Sexual harassment is another major concern for women in the workplace. Hrw.org states, “Millions of female workers are forced to work in an intimidating, hostile or humiliating environment, and experience various unwelcome forms of sexual conduct.” A countless number of women are exploited in the workplace, and yet, many workplaces often don’t take action against the offender because they consider the concern to be insignificant.

Female exploitation and discrimination has increased over the years, and most women constantly suffer the pressure of either starting a family or raising a family and providing for themselves and their kids. For example, AmericanProgress.org states, “Too many workplaces, government policies, and economic strategies have not evolved to respond effectively,” towards the benefits of women, portraying the lack of help provided to women in need. The needs of women in the workplace are tossed aside while unequal benefits are given to men.

In conclusion, women are continuously exploited in the workplace throughout various means such as unequal pay, sexual harassment, and so much more. These concerns are generally disregarded and considered insignificant, but they impact millions of women globally. Action needs to be initiated to fight against the plethora of issues women face globally considering the information presented by these statistics.

Work Cited

“Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace | Human Rights Watch.” Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, 14 Nov. 2017, www.hrw.org/tag/gender-based-violence-workplace.

Phadke, Shilpa, and Diana Boesch. “Treading Water: The Current Challenges of Women’s Work.” Center for American Progress, 31 Jan. 2020, www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2019/01/18/465361/treading-water-current-challenges-womens-work.

Varia, Nisha. “This Is How Women Are Exploited in Today’s Global Workforce.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020, www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/08/how-women-are-exploited-todays-global-workforce.

“Women Work More, But Are Still Paid Less.” International Labour Organization, 25 Aug. 1995, www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008091/lang--en/index.htm.