In recent years, Gender equality in the workplace has gained a lot of momentum and importance in our society. So many companies around the world try to run by the values of being a more inclusive and fair space for all. However, the battle has only just begun. The disparity between gender in various industries and organisations worldwide still exists. It is extremely important to remember that achieving gender equality it requires a concentrated effort at every level of society.
At the heart of the matter is the need for equal opportunities. This needs to be considered by a rather simple understanding of “equality” in the true meaning of the word. Equality does not mean that you must take a man’s job and give it to a woman or vice versa, it means that regardless of the gender of the person, the same opportunity, resource and reward must be available for a person’s skill and work. One of the fundamental challenges to gender equality is the prevalence of unconscious bias. Despite progress in awareness, implicit biases persist, influencing decision-making processes in hiring, performance evaluations, and career advancement. Today, I run Rest the Case with the simple value in the company. I only hire a person to be a part of the team based on how good they are at the job they are supposed to be performing and their skill set and not whether this is a “woman job” or a “man’s job”.
It has been around a century since the abolition of the ban on women practising law in India, but even today the legal sector is said to be a male-dominated profession, today only 10% of lawyers in India are women. There is an unconscious bias that arises in this sector as well because women are not seen to have the “traits” a lawyer must have. Despite the growing number of women entering the legal profession, gender disparities persist, particularly in leadership positions and higher positions in the judiciary. Women continue to be underrepresented in senior roles within law firms, corporate legal departments, and the judiciary.
This underrepresentation can be attributed to various factors, including gender bias, stereotypes, and systemic barriers that hinder women’s career progression. These practices must be worked upon by people of influence and power in workplaces, to make a more inclusive environment for all the employees of the company. Companies must educate the employees of the unconscious bias of gender roles and it must be made clearer that skill is more important. Salaries for the same roles must be made transparent and the same if the role and qualifications are met. In recent years, there have been several landmark initiatives and legal reforms aimed at advancing gender equality in India. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, for example, provides a comprehensive framework for addressing and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, including within the legal profession. Similarly, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, of 2017, has expanded maternity leave benefits for women in the workforce, including women lawyers.
Changes are being made around the world in all professions, some smaller than others and some that can make considerable changes, but there is a long way to go. Gender diversity must be promoted throughout professions and workplaces. When we foster a more inclusive and suitable space we can ensure that all individuals regardless of their gender have an opportunity they can act on and then truly base the growth of an individual on the work they put in and not whether they are male or female.
Shared by: Shreya Sharma,
CEO & CO-Founder, Rest The Case.
