Empowering women in the workplace

Diversity, equality, and inclusivity are crucial to creating healthy work environments in the workforce, as these concepts help create more well-rounded workplaces. Through the diverse backgrounds of employees, there is room for different ideas, viewpoints, as well as strategies. Similarly, the understanding of equality and inclusivity helps to foster and develop a safe workspace for people to feel comfortable in. Employees feel like their opinions and ideas matter, and feel like they are a part of the larger group in which they can feel like they are team members, and have importance in creating the organisation’s overall success. These practices also will lead to women feeling empowered and equal to their male counterparts, an issue many women struggle with.

In many workplaces in the patriarchal capitalist society that has been developed, men seem to have more dominance and power in their actions and work and can stand their ground on what they are doing. Meanwhile, women are seen to bring more vulnerability and empathy into work roles, which may show less dominance due to being more understanding and flexible. This has led to numerous instances where women feel undermined in their work, especially through the idea of male power and dominance. Many women are seen to only express more feminine attributes to assist the men, through tasks that are assistance, rather than equal work to their male counterparts. Common examples of these female attributes may be expressed with women in more psychological roles of nursing and education, as they are seen to be more empathetic and understanding. In more corporate male-dominated roles, they are more commonly perceived to obtain roles such as front-desk, assistant, or lack promotions and importance in their title. 

However, this should not discourage women from speaking up and feeling empowered in the workplace. Due to the male dominance in jobs especially around jobs in technology and finance, it can leave women feeling undermined. They may feel as if they have less importance due to the lack of representation, as well as the lack of support. Especially in companies where the organisation has only obtained a few female workers, they may feel threatened by each other, due to the competition that comes along with it. They may feel the need to stand their ground and prove they belong there and deserve the role. Instead, women should be able to find comfort rather than competition with each other. They should work towards the collective idea that they can support and relate to each other, through the many challenges and obstacles they may face. Women should encourage each other to put effort into their work and ideas, achieve their goals and aspirations, as well as have confidence in themselves. Often enough, women have self-doubts that they won’t succeed or they're not good enough, through the lack of representation or presence they may feel they have in the company. This could lead to feelings of isolation and getting lost in the larger picture. Building these connections will work towards moving away from that. Finding this support system and empowering women in the workplace will lead to a feeling of inclusivity, importance, and fulfilment.

Women who feel empowered in their work will feel like they matter and will strive to project success for the company. Women can also find empowerment through finding jobs where gender equality is a key value of the company. This may be through equal opportunities for promotions and opportunities, equal wages between men and women, and diverse hiring managers. The manager and higher leads can set the tone for the workplace environment, so finding hiring managers who value diversity, inclusivity, and equity is a key first step.  Through finding jobs with equal opportunities, hiring practices with important values of equity, and support of inclusive leadership, women will be able to feel empowered that they matter in their workplace. 

Through the empowerment of women in the workplace, women will be better equipped with the confidence to both perform well and establish a role and importance within the team. The feeling of empowerment and confidence in the role will motivate them to do well, as they understand that their work has importance and is contributing to a larger picture. Putting this effort into their confidence and work will lead them to feel they can establish a position in their role, and establish their importance to the organisation. Often enough, women in the corporate world are portrayed as less important and as more of a support to the men. But how has this idea sustained a role in our society? How have we continued to maintain the environment for women to feel overlooked and less important? The social views that continue to uphold society are important to acknowledge, to determine the root of the issue. How does the patriarchal method continue to be used in the corporate workforce, and how is this maintained? 

Generally, it is maintained through the media that is produced and consumed in our world. Social media and other forms of online media continue to have an influence on how we view society and what is seen as normal. Our favourite romantic comedy films often have the female protagonists as romanticised newspaper workers, who are often enough, fighting for their jobs, and are ordered around as secretaries to make coffee. This maintains the idea of male dominance in the workforce, and how women have to put in more effort to still keep less important jobs. 

 A classic example of an aspiring journalist from the early 2000s is Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, as she interns at The Stamford Eagle Gazette. After she builds up her image in the week she is there, trying to have a voice, and an opinion and get the job done, she is then told she would be much better as someone's assistant rather than a journalist. This leads her to go into a loophole of self-doubt, and acting out. Her boss’ opinion was highly important to her, and his negative comments led to her being completely overtaken by these comments and the challenge she now faces. She contemplates if she has what it takes, overthinking her whole journey with the aspiration of becoming a journalist. 

This lack of women empowerment leads her to believe she does not have the assets to become a journalist and is better at following coffee orders from the boss instead. Although her boss is a highly respectable man, it shows the idea that just because he is a man with dominance, he is the one who decides who has it and who doesn’t. This ignorance looks over what skills and importance she does have to offer and rather showcases her feminine character being overridden by a male’ opinion. Her work and efforts in her school newspaper and other opportunities are not considered; her pursuit of academics at the highly prestigious Ivy League institution Yale is unconsidered. 

By continuing to empower women in the workplace, several outcomes can be discovered. Not only women will be able to showcase their abilities with confidence and security, but also work up to higher roles and build their status within their company. This will help to not only make women feel more empowered but also show the company has a diverse and inclusive workplace, striving for equity. Not only will this help women to not feel overshadowed and have a voice, but it will also inspire other women and young girls. It is the systemic tendencies that society has developed that maintain this environment, where women feel they cannot speak up and be affirmative. The glorification of women assistants in movies, stay-at-home moms being the ideal in the 1950s and many more from the media have given women the wrong idea of what they can do and who they can be. Inspiring fellow women and goals to feel confident in who they are in the workforce will create a positive feedback loop of women empowering and supporting each other, as well as the next generation of women. 

Written by Audrey Wong