Self: 1. Work-home balance - the women’s problem

International Women’s Day completed its hundredth anniversary the other day. Do the celebrations signal that women around the world have now achieved what they set out to a century ago? Or do they merely demonstrate the information dispersal power of Internet, while gender equality still remains a distant dream?

Doughty infers from a survey conducted in Britain, that a significant number of British women believe that sexism is dead. These women may have discovered the magic mantra to equality that feminine groups elsewhere would do well to emulate.

Writing in an online news portal, Doughty presents his evidence. He says:

At senior management level, women appear to have achieved equality. According to workforce statistics, women make up 35.8 per cent of all full-time workers, while among managers and senior officials the proportion is 35.5 per cent – up from 30.7 per cent in 2001.

I should think that ‘equality’ would add up to a minimum of fifty percent at each level! Still, that this is an improvement in the numbers cannot be denied. In many Asian countries, 1-2 percent at senior levels is about as high as women may go organizationally.  However, assuming Doughty’s conclusion is fact,  it seems strange that in the same survey, men significantly respond that sexism is women’s major challenge in the workplace.

In Egypt, women participated in large numbers in the popular uprising in February to oust the existing regime. Sexual harassment has been rampant in the country, affecting 98% of foreign women and 83% of Egyptian women. Hoping for a change of attitudes with the new revolution, they again took to the streets to commemorate Women’s Day and to remind society of their unfulfilled needs.

However, report Al-Shalchi and Callamachi, a rude awakening awaited them:

Hundreds of women — some in headscarves and flowing robes, others in jeans — who marched to the square to celebrate the anniversary, demand equality and an end to sexual harassment were soon outnumbered by men who chased them out. "They said that our role was to stay home and raise presidents, not to run for president"…

Brown quotes some other pertinent stats –

They [women] earn only ten per cent of the world’s income but do two thirds of the world’s work. They produce up to 80 per cent of the food in developing countries but own only one per cent of the land.

In Ivory Coast, soldiers in armoured vehicles opened fire on women demonstrating with tree-branch symbols of peace, killing at least seven. The Diva has pointed out in posts on this site and elsewhere that in many parts of the world, armed conflict is waged through and on women. The freedom of choice of dress also is often denied them.

Referring to the insensitive bind they are being put in, Brown writes:

Women in Saudi Arabia, Chechnya and Iran face harassment if they don’t observe conservative religious dress codes. Muslim women in Belgium, France and some parts of Spain may soon break the law there if they do.

And further -

In places like Russia, the Philippines, Mexico and Nepal, leading activists have recently been murdered for speaking out. In China, Bangladesh, India, Zimbabwe and many other countries, they are routinely detained and tortured.

Although many disadvantaged women have gained legal rights over the last century, just a decade ago the commemorative day was universally almost forgotten. Today the global platform has kept the world informed and aware of the women’s perspective, their rights and accomplishments. 

In her article about the day, Davis quotes former Chilean President, Bachelet, to say:

"… the hopes of equality expressed on that first International Women's Day are a long way from being realised. Almost two out of three illiterate adults are women. Girls are still less likely to be in school than boys.”

Even in Britain, the equality claimed may not base on reality. As Doughty himself lets slip in another article:

… most women are far more concerned with solving day-to-day practical problems in their lives than fighting a battle for equality…

In an increasingly complicated global environment, the gender pressures on women have probably become overwhelming. Unfortunately, attitudes in larger society remain entrenched in past traditions and stereotypes. 

For instance, Lord Sugar, who hires and fires on the teleseries The Apprentice, holds that recruitment regulations lacking the gender focus are counterproductive. Employers need to consider the issue - that female employees may fall pregnant – before considering their business acumen.

The stand, Peev reports from a debate, is that the onus should be on women applicants to reveal their procreative plans, or how they will juggle work with a family. In his words:

“‘I say women should be forthcoming when being interviewed, declaring their status regarding children and childcare …’”

The plight of women may have improved in regions of the world only because of strict legislation. Companies in Britain have been directed by government officials to raise their numbers of women in their boardrooms to at least 25 percent by 2015 or face punitive action. All this despite the annual ritual of flowers, chocolates and colour pink!

Milestones aside, gender equality is yet to be achieved. Anywhere in the world, work-home life balance continue to be women’s personal problem. Perhaps Crabb hits the nail on the head when she observes that women cannot expect equality in the workplace, since men are yet far from sharing equal opportunity at home.

She writes:

For all of our agonising about workplace culture, professional pathways, mentoring, partnerships for success and what not, it's as plain as dog's bollocks that the main reason women are under-represented in the senior echelons of just about any professional field is that they hardly ever have wives.

References for this post:

1. Al-Shalchi, Hadeel and Callimachi, Rukmini and others. “Equality for women a distant goal in the world” google.com Associated Press report. Mar 8, 2011 
2. Crabb, Annabel. “Behind every successful woman there's a wife” abc.net.au ABC The Drum. March 8, 2011. 
3. Davies, Catriona “Revolution signals new dawn for Egypt’s women” cnn.com. CNN. March 8, 2011. 
4. Davis, Caroline. “International Women's Day: a century of slow progress” guardian.co.uk Tuesday 8 March 2011 
5. Doghty Steve “Cracking the glass ceiling: Female staff have the same chance as men of reaching the top, figures reveal” dailymail.co.uk MailOnline. 4th March 2011 
6. Doghty Steve “Sexism is dead, say most British WOMEN” dailymail.co.uk MailOnline. 8th March 2011
   
7. Peev, Gerri “Lord Sugar says women looking for a job 'should tell employers if they plan to have a baby'”dailymail.co.uk MailOnline. 4th March 2011 
8. Sunderland, Ruth. “CITY FOCUS: Women to turn table on boards” dailymail.co.uk MailOnline. 24th February 2011. 
9. The Diva. “Protection of the veil” twmacademy.com. The Working Manager, Ltd. Undated.