Gender Discrimination in Workplaces in China

Gender Discrimination in Workplaces in China
Background and Cost of Gender Discrimination
Gender discrimination in the workplace has the potential to have a significant impact on the productivity of an organisation. The cost of maintaining a workforce that is not fully utilised (Jiang et al., 2011). When women are not promoted and are not allowed to enter some roles, a company will be unable to utilise their skills and knowledge to their full potential. It can lead to a significant loss of productivity and efficiency in the workplace (Zhang et al., 2011). Triana et al. (2019) added that when women are not allowed to participate in decision-making, they miss significant opportunities that could lead to career growth and development. It can harm the individual woman concerned and the company as a whole, as the talent may not be found again easily.
Ziyi (2021) added that workplaces might miss opportunities to improve their business practices. Gender discrimination can lead to a lack of morale in the workforce, leading to high employee turnover. It significantly impacts the organisation’s costs and ability to recruit new staff, which can harm productivity overall. In addition, Qu et al. (2021) described that motivating employees, particularly females, is often difficult when they feel they are not being treated fairly. Gender discrimination can lead to legal action by either the employee concerned or the company itself. It can be costly in terms of time and money and significantly negatively impact the organisation’s reputation. It is also often difficult to convince a court that gender discrimination has occurred, leading to long delays in resolving the issue. Gender discrimination can negatively impact employees’ ability to develop their skills, particularly if they are not allowed to learn in a gender-sensitive way.
It can lead to them being less productive overall and may also result in them leaving the company for another job where they can develop their skills more effectively. In addition, it can be difficult to recruit new staff when there is already chaos among existing staff. There is no question that gender discrimination exists in China today. From limited employment opportunities for women to the widespread discrimination against women in all aspects of social life, Chinese women experience significant gender disparities (Zhang, 2021). The literature review examines the extent and nature of gender discrimination in China and government efforts to address the problem.
Gender Discrimination in China (General)
Gender discrimination in China dates back to the Qing dynasty when women were denied the right to hold property and political power (Hajndrych, 2021). Since the communists came to power in China in 1949, the government has implemented various policies and programs to eliminate gender discrimination, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. In recent years, however, China has made some progress in reducing gender discrimination (Sun, 2022). Hajndrych (2021) added that in the early 1990s, the government passed several laws and regulations to reduce gender discrimination in the workplace. In addition, the government has also implemented several programs to help women gain more employment opportunities. For instance, the country’s “Gender Equality Law” (1999) states that men and women must have equal rights in all areas of life, including work, education, and social activities.
Additionally, Huang et al. (2020) said that the “Women’s Development Fund” (2002-2010) provides financial assistance to women to help them gain access to education, employment, and health care. Despite these efforts, gender discrimination remains a problem in China. For example, many employers continue to prefer male employees over female employees. Li (2022) analysed that women often face discrimination when entering the workforce or engaging in other social activities. In some cases, women are even forced into traditional “female” occupations (such as nursing) or are prohibited from participating in certain activities (such as politics, law, piloting, and motor racing). Consequently, the government continues to face significant challenges in eliminating gender discrimination in China. However, progress may be made in this regard with continued effort.
Gender Discrimination in Employment in Chinese Workplaces
The overwhelming majority of jobs in China are still off-limits to women, who comprise only about one-fifth of the workforce. Women are mainly concentrated in low-paying, non-industrial sectors such as caregiving and domestic work (Triana et al., 2019). There are virtually no women in the top ranks of business or government. Even in traditionally female occupations such as nursing, women are often paid less than men and are subjected to sexual harassment and other gender discrimination (An et al., 2018). Badar et al. (2018) added that Chinese society is based on a traditional division of labour between men and women. Women are responsible for most domestic duties and are prevented from engaging in socially prestigious activities, such as politics and the military. The pervasive gender discrimination seriously affects women’s social status, career growth, living style, and ability to enjoy life.
The Chinese government has tried to address gender discrimination, but progress has been slow. In 2003, the Chinese legislature passed a law mandating equal pay for equal work for women in all sectors of the economy (Yang, 2020). However, law enforcement is complex, and little progress has been made in reducing gender disparities in wages or career opportunities. The government also sponsors several programs to improve women’s social status and access to education and employment. However, these programs are not always well funded or implemented and have a limited impact on overall gender equality in China (Ud Din et al., 2018). Zurndorfer (2018) added that gender-based violence is a severe problem in China, especially against women in rural areas. In 2006, the Chinese government launched a national campaign to combat violence against women. Progress has been slow due to a lack of resources; many people are reluctant to acknowledge the problem.
Comparison of Finland and China’s Gender Gap Index Rate
Since the UNDP Gender Inequality Index launch in 2010, Finland has been ranked as one of the world’s most gender-equal countries. The index evaluates the inequality in the distribution of achievements between women and men in five different areas: reproductive health, educational attainment, participation in work and politics, and payment distribution. In the 2016 index, Finland was ranked tenth in the world regarding gender equality. Finland has steadily improved its ranking since the index was first launched and has consistently been one of the world’s most gender-equal countries. China ranks lower on the Gender Inequality Index than Finland. China ranks 114th out of 188 countries regarding gender equality, with a score of 0.529 (on a scale from 1 to 1, where one is the most equal) (Viertio et al., 2021). It means that women in China are only half as likely as men to achieve equal achievement in each area evaluated by the index. Several factors may contribute to the inequality in gender achievement in China (Chen et al., 2020).
China’s Gender Gap Index score is based on several factors: wage equality, health and survival rates, educational opportunities, political rights and participation, and economic security. China’s Gender Gap Index rank is 114th out of 196 countries worldwide. It means that China has a significant gender gap in the measures used to calculate the index score. The index score reflects how well women perform relative to men in each category. Categories included in the index are economic security, education, health, and politics. China has made some progress in reducing gender disparities in wages and career opportunities, but much more needs to be done (Yu et al., 2020). Gender-based violence is a severe problem in China, especially against women in rural areas. Gender discrimination and inequality are longstanding problems in China and continue to be exacerbated by social and cultural norms (Batz-Barbarich et al., 2018). Women in China face significant challenges when attempting to access education, work, and reproductive health services.
Despite these obstacles, there have been some notable successes for women in China over the past few years. For example, female participation rates in tertiary education have increased dramatically since 2000; however, these have n...