1. Who Suffers from Gender Discrimination?
There are two groups of people who suffer from gender discrimination. Women suffer from gender discrimination because they are paid less than men for the same job. Women may also be excluded from jobs, promotions, and they may not be as respected as men in the workplace. On the other hand, all of society suffers from gender discrimination. Gender discrimination hurts society because it keeps half of all people from reaching their full potential. When women are left out of leadership and positions of influence, their good ideas and unique perspectives are also left out.
Gender discrimination is related to sexual harassment, which is also harmful to women (Nye et al. (2009). Sexual harassment of women is a form of gender discrimination because it is treating women differently in sexual way, or singling them out with sexual comments (Nye et al. (2009). Often times, gender discrimination in a workplace, school, or similar environment leads to sexual harassment because women are already seen as inferior and others may not think that the deserve respect. This can harm a woman’s self esteem and force the woman to leave the workplace. Additionally, women who have been sexually harassed or who have suffered discrimination may sue the company, leading to expensive court cases and costly payments.
According to the article on the effect of gender discrimination on girl’s interest in science, gender discrimination plays a large parts in the lack of women entering the science workforce (Weisgram & Bigler, 2007). According to the authors, girls see more men than women working in the science field and they attribute scientific ability to men over women. The girls then believe that they can not understand science as good as men, they don’t study it and they do not enter the scientific field and the problem continues Weisgram & Bigler, 2007). This does not just happen in the science field, it also happens in engineering, business leadership, technology and other male dominated fields. These industries suffer from gender discrimination because the companies lose out on valuable employees along with the perspective and skills that women can bring to the workplace.
2. Recent Articles on Gender Discrimination
Article: Silicon Valley has a Gender Discrimination Problem and These Women Can Prove It
Link: http://motto.time.com/4226297/silicon-valley-gender-discrimination-data-elephant-in-the-valley/?iid=sr-link3
This article discusses a recent gender discrimination lawsuit brought by a female employee against a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. The authors surveyed 200 women working in Silicon Valley to determine the extent of the discrimination. They found that women feel unfairly judged about their behavior with attributes like aggressiveness viewed as negative, when the same attribute would be viewed as positive in their male counterpart. The authors also explore how women who suffer from discrimination are able to support each other by discussing and building on their shared experiences.
Article: She ditched her $400,000-a-year legal job after her ‘woman’s card’ only held her back
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/she-ditched-her-400000-a-year-legal-job-after-her-womans-card-only-held-her-back/2016/04/28/a3fb7d4a-0d3a-11e6-a6b6-2e6de3695b0e_story.html
This article tells the story of a woman who left her high paying position because she faced constant gender discrimination. Kristen Johnson had a $400,000 a year job at a law firm, but she still faced discrimination. She didn’t receive bonuses when male employees did and she was sexually harassed. Johnson decided that it wasn’t worth the frustration and embarrassment and she left the firm to become a stay at home mom. She’s not paid as well, but she feels better. The firm lost one of their best employees due to gender discrimination.
References
2. Dvorak, Petula. (2016) She ditched her $400,000-a-year legal job after her ‘woman’s card’ only held her back. The Washington Post. Retrieved From: : https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/she-ditched-her-400000-a-year-legal-job-after her-womans-card-only-held-her-back/2016/04/28/a3fb7d4a-0d3a-11e6-a6b6 2e6de3695b0e_story.html
1.Nye, C. D., Brummel, B. J., & Drasgow, F. (2009). Differentiating Gender Discrimination and Sexist Behavior: An Examination of Antecedents and Outcomes. Military Psychology (Taylor & Francis Ltd), 21(3), 299-314.
2. Vassallo, Trae. Madansky, Michele (2016) Silicon Valley has a Gender Discrimination Problem and These Women Can Prove It. Motto. Retrieved from : http://motto.time.com/4226297/silicon-valley-gender-discrimination-data-elephant-in the-valley/?iid=sr-link3
1. Weisgram, E. S., & Bigler, R. S. (2007). EFFECTS OF LEARNING ABOUT GENDER DISCRIMINATION ON ADOLESCENT GIRLS' ATTITUDES TOWARD AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE. Psychology Of Women Quarterly, 31(3), 262-269
