Challenges that working women face today Essay Example for Free

Challenges that working wo custody face today EssayIntroductionIn todays shade where individualism is emphasized and especially that women are encouraged to assume affect roles as men would normally acquit, two or three decades ago, it is very tricky to see eye to eye with how women are during biblical times. Girl power or women empowerment is the rule of the day for women nowadays.Although, of course, all women as all men demand the right to lead in the sense that they have the same intrinsic capacity to influence, the role of leadership has been blown out of proportion by feminist groups as they apply it to women. The result of this over blown leadership role of women has been the constant battle between members of opposite sexes in many epochal areas within society. It has affected the homes, government and non-government institutions, down to the smallest entity that has within its membership men and women.The ChallengesToday, despite the liberty afforded to women sin ce their right to suffrage had been granted, myriads of problems assails them as they exercise many of their freedoms. These complicate sexual harassment and abuse, balancing family life and, still being debated to a stage is the issue on an equit adapted salary or pay.Generally, the women today have double jobs non to mention the close attention they pay towards their childrens schooling. This is usually true in urbanized and highly educated centers in the mainland USA. patronage these changes of traditional roles of women in the cities, there are yet rural areas where women assume roles that are still traditional. Women in these areas are still known to be submissive to their men oftentimes abuses are the rule not the exception.Abuses come in the form of incest, rape, lure of prostitution, cybernet prostitution, abortion, domestic violence, sex tourism, and mail order brides among others. However, without exception, more slight educated women are abused than their more educat ed counterparts who also have more access to social services. In other words, the abuses menti unmatchedd char be activeerized women, though the incidence and degree are comparatively higher in the less educated and misplaced/marginalized areas (Malveuax et al., 2002). Salary EquityDespite the provision by law that there should be equal remuneration standards for men and women, many firms and workplaces continue to abuse women of this right (Equal Employment Opportunity Act). This law precisely was originally intended for women to receive equal pay and be protected against anomalous employers who make whimsical decisions regarding their women employees.It provides against employers who may lower wages from either sex or labor organizations that will flack to influence employers against employees wages (Taber, 2008). The question is how prevalent is the discrimination or abuse on employee salaries? Basically, most occupations still show discrepancy with women versus men wages, altho ugh various explanations are put forth. However the factors may be explained, the fact still remains that women lose around 20 to 30 percent to that of mens income (77cents to one dollar for men) as reported by The Washington Post (2007 July).Balancing Work and family (Work-Life Initiatives)Work-life initiatives are strategies implemented by firms to reduce turnover and increase productiveness and overall firm performance. Studies were made to examine the influence and effects of work-life initiatives on employees and the organization in general. Workplace diversity which incorporates the concepts of work-life initiatives does indicate that it is inevitable that when a companionship introduces work-life initiatives, there is a resulting increase in diversity. Substantial evidence point to the effectiveness of workplace diversity hence, many institutions encourage and promote this in their incident milieu (http//www.cmdronline.com/workshops.htm).It is inevitable that juggling work and family life will be one of a persons demanding experiences. The rationale for having a job is not only to have a livelihood, achieve personal satisfaction in the expression of his abilities and trainings, and receive his remuneration and perks on the side. Preparation for family stability to be able to provide and thus create an atmosphere of care, for bachelors/maidens, is also the foremost and logical reason for having a job.However, the thin thread that separates between the two polarities becomes blurred, and there lies the accent that pulls a person in different directions. The Center for Mediation and controversy Resolution opens its website with the following quote Our life is one giant balancing act (http//www.cmdronline.com/workshops.htm). Perhaps, no person will ever disagree with that statement. The goal then is to know how to do the balancing act, to gain competencies in achieving a rewarding, flourishing mixture of life that holds work in one hand, while maintaini ng a well-nurtured and healthy family on the other hand.Sex HarassmentWhat is perhaps most important to womens well-being is their security against abuse of any form from employers, fellow employees and other people as they conduct their day-to-day affairs. Sex harassment is defined by the Womens Justice Network as sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or fleshly conduct of a sexual nature. Whether sexual harassment is from a supervisor, co-workers or customers, it is an attempt to assert power over another person. The harassment may take place in your work setting, outside of your work setting, in your home, while traveling on business or at business rifles (20002).Conclusion term at the moment, the common cry of women is equality to both genders as it is reflected in womens roles in the family, in cosmos places, and the obliteration of the stereotyped designation of females in past decades which until now has its bearing in the minds of the general public the consequent outcome of this campaign is prevalent in almost every area where function is concerned. In the late 1960s, womens movement began to blossom. It was stirred by the then sentiment of repulsion to the tasks being typecasted among women. Womens movement of the 60s aimed to question the menial duties relegated to women such as getting married, becoming a housewife and afterwards attending to household chores (including raising children), and when outside opportunity comes for them to work, theyre consigned to answering phones, photocopying, etc (Encarta, 2006).The scenery has been changed and is no longer the same as in the past 30 or 40 years. The typical woman today is one that is among the working class no longer confined to house premises, but working and providing as much as her male counterparts. She can be the manager or an executive of an established firm where most of the male employees are under her command. Equality in role s has now been achieved. Whereas this status and depiction of women in itself is not outright negative, the undercurrent armament that it has created is the programming of the minds of todays women to be resistant to the biblical description of their role as they are teamed with men.Instead of seeing male and female union as complimentary to both sexes, the danger of too much emphasis on equality especially when it is defined merely in domestic and public functions is the threat that masculinity poses to womanhood. It is good for women to fight for their basic equal rights with men as members of this global community, but if it results in certain imbalances because the aim has become the deposition of the opposite gender, then the battle for equality has now turned into fight for superiority of the female sex.Reference1. Encarta Dictionary 2006. (DVD).2. Malveaux, Julianne, Deborah Perry, Deborah L. Perry. 2002. Unfinished Business A populist and a Republican Take on the 10 Most I mportant Issues Women Face. Penguin Group USA.3. Halonen, JS and JW Santrock, 1996. Psychology Contexts of Behavior, Dubuque, IA Brown and Benchmark, p.810.4. __________ Values what are they?2007. Family Works University of Illinois extension. Accessed November 10. 2007. http//www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/familyworks/values-01.html5. _________Centre for Mediation Dispute Resolution, accessed in http//www.cmdronline.com/workshops.htm6. Taber, Loren. The Law in the Workplace. Accessed February 28, 2008. http//www.google.com/search?q=cache2K4rLBDHP90Jwww.cbi-cc.org/PowerPoints/The%2520Law%2520in%2520the%2520Workplace.ppt+women+issues+on+discrimination+in+salary/wageshl=enct=clnkcd=17. _________ Men vs Women Asking for more Money. The Washington Post. July 30, 2007. Accessed February 28, 2008 http//ocouha.com/weblog/tags/earnings-income-salary-wages-wealth/8. _________ Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Toronto Harassment support Group. Retrieved February 28, 2008. http//www.owjn.org/issues /s-harass/work.htm