Equality at workplace is the need of the hour

dubai - The pace of progress towards realising equality of opportunity is still painfully slow

The recent high-profile 'first ever' appointments at global companies have been welcomed worldwide, especially by the women in today's workforce. Corporate giants appointing a female chief executive officer, chief financial officer or any other senior level executive can be seen as traditionally male-dominated industries taking their first steps away from gender inequality.

However, while sectors and corporates worldwide have made great strides, there is still a long way to go. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2017, "women represent fewer than 50 per cent of leaders in every industry analysed". "Over the past 10 years, the proportion of female leaders increased by an average of just over two percentage across 12 industries that were studied" for this report.

According to the same report, "female corporate leadership exceeds 40 per cent only in three sectors: healthcare, education and the non-profit sector". Why? Because "these industries have relied on female workers for generations, which has potentially provided women with more time and opportunities to work their way into senior roles".

Now here comes another point of concern as noted by the Global Gender Gap Report. "Historically female-dominated industries tend to pay less than those with higher male representation". It is important for us to note that "encouraging more female leadership is one of the levers for increasing gender equity in the workforce".

Gender gap is not limited to the suited corporate world or rural areas where boys are schooled while girls learn how to become homemakers. The issue runs deep in the more glamorous entertainment industry too. Veterans in the entertainment business like Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey are vociferously pushing to bring about a change to bridge the gender gap in the entertainment business which will hopefully trickle down to boardrooms globally.

Let us take a quick look at what the Gender Gap Report reveals about the Mena region. "The UAE was the best-performing country in the Middle East, coming 120th overall; however, the Mena region came in last place, behind South Asia, in the organisation's annual Global Gender Gap Index". The UAE is ranked 67th in the world and first in the Gulf for overall female political empowerment.

One of the reasons why the UAE is doing well on bridging the gender gap is because gender balance is considered a key national priority. A big step taken by the UAE government in this direction was launching the Gender Balance Guide: Actions for UAE Organisations. Private and public organisations and institutions are expected to use this as a tool to advance gender balance in the workplace. The guide is in line with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, and the UAE Vision 2021 of becoming one of the top 25 countries for gender equality.

The nation's keen interest and commitment to gender equality is further upheld by the committed activities of the Gender Balance Council. Around 46.6 per cent of the UAE's labour force comprises women, the second-highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council after Kuwait. Sixty-six per cent of the UAE's public-sector workforce comprises women. Thirty per cent of senior positions in the UAE's public sector are held by women. Eight ministers in the UAE, that is 27 per cent, of the Cabinet are women. These are promising indicators of right steps taken in this regard.

Pace of progress slow
Having said that, despite the support, guidelines and an increasing recognition that diversity and inclusion is important in organisations, we know that inequality still exists in the workplace. A 2018 CIPD research report 'Diversity and inclusion at work: Facing up to the business case' states: "Diversity and inclusion is rising up the agenda in many organisations. However, the pace of progress towards realising equality of opportunity is still painfully slow."

What can be done to bridge this gap steadily and efficiently?

> Women should be trained and encouraged to participate in middle-skill industries such as construction and engineering which have predominantly been a realm for men. It is purely the mindset that requires changing here. With adequate training, women too can join the workforce in these sectors.

> Organisations should progressively adopt ability-based opportunities for men and women. Penalising a woman with the assumption that she will underperform at work when faced with the responsibilities of getting married or starting a family can be considered as outdated as floppy disks. Such stereotyping is dangerously myopic.

> Organisations should incorporate gender equality in its operations by adopting flexible working arrangements and inclusive policies instead of merely embracing it in print.

> Last but not the least, men in the workplace should acknowledge and encourage equal pay and opportunities for their female colleagues.

The writer is founder and CEO of Stars Dome Realty. Views expressed are her own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.