Gender equality in workplace means both women and men receive the same opportunity, reward and recognition for their work. Looking at the Gender Gap Report in 2004, Malaysia is progressing into gender equality in workplace but at a slow pace. Plus, we can still observe men dominating most of the public and private sector although the number of women in senior management roles has increased. In order to stay proactive, employers need fresh ideas and having diversity in the workplace, not only in terms of age, backgrounds and culture, but also in their gender, will benefit the company. 

How men and women think differently

Regini Verma, an associate professor at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, found significant differences in the brain circuitry between men and women. Although they reached the same destination, they use different routes to get there.

Research found that women have the advantage when it comes to making conclusions by putting information from different sources together (source: WebMD). They are able to look at things as a whole and keep track of changes that happen around them, which makes them a good team player. They are also able to identify emotions quicker and be more persuasive compared to men.

While men have higher perception and do a better job when involving hand-eye coordination, men also tend to focus on a single thing at a time. The larger number of men in higher positions in a company also could be explained by their tendency to take risks. Research also shows the male brain gets higher amount of endorphins and more pleasure when facing challenging situations.

 

Benefits of gender equality in work

 

 

Competition: Healthy competition between employees in the office would create a positive environment, as they would try to do their best in their job. Besides feeling motivated to compete, women and men may have different perspective on certain issues. It would boost creativity and improve the company’s productivity along the way.

 

Handling clients: Apart from individual uniqueness and personality, different traits possessed by men and women would definitely give an advantage when handling different types of clients. If the employers identify their employees’ personality well and assign them to the right client, it would give a positive impact to the company’s performances.

 

Sustainable workplace: A great company would not only think about revenue, but also provide a sustainable workplace for the employees. Huffington Post reported a research that showed when the employees thought the company is accepting diversity, they would be more cooperative and happier. They would want to stay at the company longer and it could reduce the cost for the company in terms of recruiting and training new staffs (read: 5 Tips to Increase Your Employee's Retention and Engagement).

 

Above all, employers should promote gender equality in the office, as it would attract more talent to their company, and boost the economy!