Issues Facing Women Today, and Yesterday

Issues Facing Women Today, and Yesterday Name Institution Issues Facing Women Today, and Yesterday Introduction Women all over the world encounter different challenges in their lives. Since time immemorial, the feminine sex has been looked down upon. The society has a mere perception of the female gender. In some countries, women are not allowed to speak publicly because their voices are not considered voices of reason hence whatever one wants to say or has in mind that she wants to pass across is deliberated as insignificant. Some of the challenges women face include; domestic violence, single parenting, breast and or other cancers, drug abuse, and gender discrimination among others. The society is always quick to judge women since they think that they do not bring much value to the society at large. Women are most of the times asked to submit to the needs and wants of their spouses or that they should not challenge the opinion of a masculine figure. This is because such an act or behavior is punishable. As a result, it has a great impact on their lives as most of them grow up thinking that that is what is expected of them. This article seeks to explain the issues related to women and work, today and yesterday in Canada. Yesterday In the workforce, women were often struggling to do their best so as to either get great opportunities, good salaries or promotions. However, gender equality has been and is still a global phenomenon. Women were not considered worth holding the management or leadership positions. Most people believed that they were not effective enough to lead a company to success or prosperity. Despite being better educated and well represented in their workplaces, the leadership training positions were always given to their male counterparts. Women may also be performing well in their respective workplaces. However, their superiors find it hard to notice it. As a result, many of them either do not get rewarded for their hard work by being given compensation and performance appraisals or promotions. The masculine gender are always given priority when it comes to being promoted. This is because men get promoted based on their potential whereas women get promoted based on their performance. “Men are promoted on potential, women on performance” CITATION Riv18 \l 1033 (Caryl & Barnett, 2018). Women are perceived of not being able to be better in other positions hence they are not given equal career opportunities as their male counterparts. They are also being judged based on what they have accomplished. A woman who works for different companies has to prove what she is capable of than one who has worked in one company for a while. In contrast, a man who has worked for different companies is highly regarded than one who has worked with their initial employer. Seeking employment opportunities has also been a challenge for women. While looking for a job, most women often end up being turned down. Despite the fact they occupy a larger portion of the Canadian labor force, majority male subjugated or controlled firms work hard to find qualified feminine applicants. These firms aim at ensuring they hire the best individual for the job. This is because such companies do not believe in their capabilities as well as the society fails to empower them. Additionally, in spite of being educated and earning most of the innovative degrees, women are not given the spectacular treatment while at work. The more they progress in the education field, the more difficult it becomes for them to be granted job opportunities. This makes most of them believe that they do not have a similar access to job or career opportunities as men. Gender pay gap has been an issue across Canada as well as other countries for quite a while. “The gender pay gap is something that’s widely discussed in today’s working world, with statistics showing that ‘women earn 76 cents on the dollar compared to men’” CITATION Zam18 \l 1033 (Zambas, 2018). Women are paid less salaries than their male colleagues at work. First and foremost, men are regarded as the breadwinners of the family hence granted higher salaries. Also, women tend to be more accepting and cannot claim a salary increment since they are afraid to do so. Both sexes may be applying for the same post or working similar jobs but the male counterpart gets to be paid a salary which exceeds that of the female coworker. Women are hence compelled to work hard to catchup but it gets hard for them in the process. This is because their performance also gets judged. There are policies which ought to be followed in the workforce. However, women get to be subjected to harassment such as sexual harassment or online harassment. Many women at work are often judged based on how they dress, their appearance and unwanted advances. Despite the policies put at work, women get to be victims of sexual harassment. Majority women find it hard to report such cases and consequently, this affects their self-esteem thus tarnishing their self-confidence or self-assurance. Additionally, it affects their job performance hence makes it difficult for them to work hard to get good salaries or promotions. It also makes them feel less secure. Sexual harassment is also experienced currently. The society is often quick to judge women on how they dress or their physical appearance. The policies put in place do not help in making cases of sexual harassment come to an end. Even though some companies tend to be strict, cases of sexual harassment tend to be in existence. Women are also not allowed to compete with their male colleagues in any field. A woman who outsmarts a male coworker is not liked by most of the employers either male or female. “A major problem still plagues women: When they are clearly competent, they are also often judged to be unlikable – by both men and women” CITATION Riv18 \l 1033 (Caryl & Barnett, 2018). Correspondingly, a woman who has accomplished a lot and is successful suffers more in the workplace. Many people do not want to associate themselves with them since they are quickly judged and not liked. Less competent women are often liked by their colleagues and less judged. Men who are competent are always perceived to be worth getting promotions and likely to succeed in life. Hard work is always ap...