Women's Place in the Workplace - Essay Example

She had strictly defined duties to be in the house and not in the work place. She did not have sufficient education as few finished school credentials (Helgesen 3). The few women that were lucky to graduate were unable to compete for same opportunities as men due to inferiority complex. This paper will look at the Women's place in the workplace and how they are viewed and perceived by the society, now and in the past The 21st Century has brought a total change. The change has evolved due to more educated women and the present hard economic times besides other factors.

The changing lifestyles and financial burdens have forced both women and men to work to provide for their families and other dependants (Helgesen 13). Women have come together in most societies to fight for equity and are transforming this old fashioned cultural belief. Women are nowadays empowering themselves and have climbed the professional ladder to the top. Many women nowadays are taking up the challenge of improving their education level in order to gain access to well paying jobs. Many women have worked hard and made history as heroines and extra ordinary human beings of their time (Helgesen 18).

Most organizations do not recognize or value the input of women while making decisions. They fail to appreciate the woman strength which is of importance to the professional world. The workforce overlooks the fact that there are equally talented women with unique skills, talents and wisdom. They are missing critical diversity in approach, values and vision. Women and men perceive issues differently. Men have a focused way of thinking that excludes emotion or empathy. Women are more empathetic and emotional.

They take issues and solve problems on a personal level (Helgesen 17). Both perspectives are equally valuable. However, most organizations reward men skills and ideas ignoring the capabilities of a woman. According to a research done by The Female Vision, the strong points of a woman that most organizations ignore are what they require to move forward and succeed. Women provide energy and labor in the workforce. They also add in their unmatched talents and values. A common misconception in the workplace is that many professional females secure competitive posts through flirting and exchange of sexual favors.

The myth cannot be ruled out entirely (Helgesen 63). In the 21st century, women have become more independent and have broken the traditional norms and expectations. The weak economy should allow women to have full access to the entire field of income generating activities. Women have become more enlightened than in the past. In most rich countries, more of them hold university degrees and are more qualified than men. The improved qualifications have opened a much wider choice of jobs motivating the women to go out and work.

The career world has changed creating more white-collar jobs. The white collar jobs suits women best as they are not physically involving. The rise in divorce rates has put women without a career at risk. Many single mothers are pursuing well paying careers to help them bring up their children. Women who do not have a paying career risk losing their income and independence which they highly value. Professionally trained women belong in the workplace. Their contribution is a boost to the economy and most importantly to themselves.

The paying career will assist the women to enjoy life since they can pay their own bills (Helgesen 73). Certain factors such as motherhood, pregnancy, menstruation and menopause contribute to the woman decrease in productivity. They have become events that have to be managed if women are going to compete on equal terms with men. Organizations can restructure their administration protocols to