How Do the Sexes Differ On Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion?

How Do the Sexes Differ On Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion?

 Diversity in the workplace is the representation of diverse differences and identities. Identities include race, ethnicity, gender, disability, nationality, tribe, and others. Equity is giving fair treatment, equal opportunities, and equal access to information and resources for everyone. For equity to work there must be respect and dignity.

Inclusion means building a culture of association where everyone’s contribution and participation are invited. In the workplace, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are important values. However, these values are different among the sexes, men, and women. In this post, I will share some ways on how they differ.

Occupations

Men’s and women’s jobs differ across different occupations. In some industries, sectors, and firms, men don’t carry out the same tasks as women. While there are jobs for both men and women, some sectors are dominated by the same gender.

A good example is a kitchen or cooking job. Another example is a vehicle and electrical technician. Kitchen jobs are dominated by women while vehicle and electrical technician jobs are dominated by men. In as much as there might be both genders in occupations, some are dominated by one gender.

Work-Family Balance

Women mostly hold responsibilities for caring for and organizing a family. House chores are done by women most of the time. Men are viewed as providers of the family. Women, who are employed in organizations and are married, have to balance between taking care of the family and working.

For this reason, women are more likely to supply few hours to work compared to men. On the other hand, men don’t hold many responsibilities on taking care of the family but are mostly providers of the family. They have plenty of time to focus on work compared to women.

Age Differences

In any organization, the workers are not of the same age. Some workers are fresh out of college and some experienced people have worked for more than twenty years. These workers include men and women, boys and girls. This means that in your organization, different genders have differences in age and experience. And for everything to run smoothly there must be respect for each person as they contribute something to the company. As you appreciate diversity and inclusion in your company, you must acknowledge age differences.

Dress Code

Naturally, men and women have different dress codes. In most cases, women put on skirts and men put on trousers. In different organizations and occupations, how men and women dress is dictated. Some businesses direct their workers to have a certain uniform while for others you just have to dress neatly. For example, in hotels, waiters and waitresses put on a uniform. In large firms, workers don’t have a uniform but they dress differently according to their gender. The dress code differs greatly between different genders.

Facilities

In an organization, some facilities cannot be shared between men and women. For instance, washrooms. In your company you have to ensure there are separate washrooms for men and women. This serves to give privacy to everyone as they use the washroom. How men use the washroom is different from how women use it. Even as your value diversity and inclusion in your workplace, you must understand the differences between men and women and implement them.

Social Norms

Women and men are viewed differently in society. Gender norms are principles that govern the behavior of men and women. They also restrict gender identity as some things are considered to be appropriate and some are not. Gender norms change over time. Some social norms are positive while some cause inequality. These norms suggest that some roles are appropriate for one gender and not appropriate for the other. For example, combat roles target men and boys more as they are masculine to defend the community.

Governance

Roles in managing and governing are dominated by men. Governance roles are mostly involved in decision-making. Many factors limit women’s opportunities and abilities to take part in decision-making.  These factors are cultural, economic, and societal. Men dominate positions of power at all levels including religious, traditional leaders, and village elders. Women’s leadership is mostly confined in areas that are feminine like social welfare. Women are underrepresented in governance roles are their leadership is not highly valued.

Behavioral Differences

Men and women have different behaviors. For women, they are mostly polite, compassionate, orderly, enthusiastic, volatile, and open. On the other hand, men are assertive, industrious, and intelligent. Men engage more in physical and verbal aggression while women tend to be more empathetic. These differences in behavior are caused by biological, developmental, and cultural factors. 

These factors influence the development of sexual differences, different brain structures, the functioning of hormones, and socialization. In the workplace, while diversity and inclusion are important, you have to understand that there are behavior differences between men and women.

Religion

Religion affects men and women differently in society. Generally, women are more religious compared to men. However, this does not apply to all religions. In some religions, men are more religious than women. This is due to different spiritualties having different virtues that attract either gender more than the other gender.

Training and Education

Genders gaps exist in education. In a way, men are more educated compared to women. In many countries and cultures, women’s lives are not given as much value as men’s lives. This is demonstrated by the unequal access women have compared to men on services provided by the state like education and healthcare. Due to this, in organizations and businesses, men workers are more compared to employees who are women.   

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