WOMEN’S PACKAGE
GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE Story by Elizabeth Allison Design & Illustration by Sara Roach
Imagine yourself climbing up a mountain. As you reach the half-way mark you notice you can’t hike up any further. You can see the path ahead of you but there’s a translucent barrier blocking your foot from stepping forward and reaching your goal. Now apply this scenario in the professional field. Many women and minorities encounter this translucent barrier, also known as a glass-ceiling, preventing them from access to opportunities that lead to equal opportunity in the job market. Sex discrimination is the unequal treatment of an individual or group of individuals based on their sex according to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
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FALL 2020
This form of discrimination can occur in many forms but commonly manifests by unequal treatment based of sex, gender or sexual orientation. The EEOC states, “Discrimination against an individual because of gender identity, including transgender status or because of sexual orientation is discrimination because of sex in violation of Title VII.” Examples of sex discrimination include hiring only male managers on the basis of gender or firing a person because of the pronouns they use, according to the EEOC website. Gender discrimination in jobs can be found in many fields, including medical. Jessicaa Lee, a class two registered nurse at the University of
Washington Medical Center, explains how there have been many situations in the hospital where she’s been patronized or spoken down to because she is the young female nurse. Lee adds, “Even in a female-dominated field, like nursing, it can be discouraging to see men advancing more quickly in their careers and seemingly getting more respect than their female coworkers.” Education is another industry where more subtle forms of gender inequalities can occur. Kara Gabriel, Psychology professor, explains that female and male faculty are regarded differently by students. “I do believe that students have different expectations for women faculty than they might
