There are numerous gains that women have made in the workplaces over the past decades. Currently, there are more women entering the labor force as compared to 20 years ago. Gender imbalance has always been there since women began working and this has continued to date. Women who work in male-dominated workplaces have reported that they experience more discrimination when compared to women who work in workplaces that are dominated by women. However, the same is not true for men. Men who work in workplaces that are dominated by women have not reported any discrimination neither have they indicated they face any discrimination in workplaces that are dominated by fellow men (Choi 352). While the discrimination in some instances is never obvious, it still does take place. Women are passed over for job promotions and their male counterparts are offered the jobs even if they are less qualified. The reasoning behind this is never clear and there are fewer managers who are willing to disclose their choice for men over women for promotions. It is well known that this is done in order to discourage and preserve the upper echelons to be men dominated and has no bearing on the performance of the company. In fact, companies that have more women in upper management positions have reported increased performance as compared to their counterparts who have male-dominated upper management.
Women have to work harder than men in order to prove their worth and they are still discriminated when it comes to work promotions. The number of women who are joining the workforce has been on the rise and women are forced to put in more effort as compared to their male colleagues (Choi 347). This pressure to perform might not be visible but it is there. It is only seen when a manager is found screaming at a female worker for making a small mistake that is normally overlooked when done by a male colleague. This subtle discrimination has a negative effect on the performance of women in the workplace, where they have to be extra careful and overly check on their work before they can submit it. Discrimination is not just done by men there are women who will discriminate against their fellow women. This mostly happens in workplaces that are dominated by men. There are women who look down upon their fellow women colleagues and they opt to side with the men in order for them to be seen as part of the team (Faniko et al. 638). This forces the women to discriminate against fellow women and with time they get used to it and they perform it out of instinct. Having been conditioned to discourage and look down on women, the women will attack other women and insult them in private.

Pay Discrepancy

Even as the number of women who are joining the workforce continues to increase, there are still huge pay discrepancies between men and women in the workplace (Miller). Job roles might be similar and the workload the same, however, men will be given higher pay and increased allowances as compared to women. Currently, women who are working full time earn 80.7 cents for every dollar that a man working full time earns (Mih?il? 263). The annual women median earnings are $9,900 less than those for men. The Institute for Women's Policy Research has made progress towards reducing this pay disparity but the organization has stated that equal par parity might not be possible until 2059. That is an honest estimate and it is based on the progress that has been made so far and the outlook that the organization has for reducing pay parity. The pay disparity...…used to denote the fact that women can see beyond their current level but they are not able to go past their current level. While no employer would want to have it written down as a policy due to today's lawsuit driven society there are subtle ways that this ceiling is implemented. Research has shown that amongst the Fortune 1000 companies in the United States only 10% of them have women in upper management positions (Faniko et al. 641). Women have to work twice as hard as men in order for them to break the glass ceiling. Demonstrating to the executives your worth is the only way that a woman will be able to join the upper management positions. The challenges that are placed upon women are far more than those placed on men (Ezzedeen, Budworth and Baker 355). Instead of the supervisor identifying the achievements and motivation of the employees, they need to see them pushing harder than everyone else. Yet, there is a chance that the female employee will still be overlooked when a position becomes available.

Conclusion

The odds are stacked against women in the workplace. Discrimination is rampant, although it is not well pronounced. Women have to work twice as hard as men in order for them to get promotions and they are also forced to accept lower salaries for the work they perform. Companies might have anti-discrimination policies in place but there are many ways that a company can discriminate based on gender without it being too obvious. The justification for lower pay for women is based on their need flexible schedules and this is used even for women who have not been given flexible schedules. Forcing women to accept the notion that they will not rise above certain levels within the organization is unfair and can be a demotivator for women.