“Women can now work away from home, but are they outperforming men in the formal sector? Deep research has been conducted to debunk the myths in this matter and set the record straight. Feminists across the world have done a great job in amplifying the efforts of all women in the formal sector. However, there is still unfinished business in this area, and more is still expected in the future. It is not safe to say that women are outperforming men in the formal sector, because there are just a few cases of outstanding women because of their opinions who have done a few tasks that are worth reckoning. On the whole, women are yet to attain the standards set by men in the formal sector. Here are the reasons why this is true.
Formal employment opportunities for both men and women
Employment opportunities that are available in the formal sector today are basically male dominated jobs. For instance, according to a recent study, men have consistently higher employment rates than women above the age of 22. Moreover, men with children more likely to work than those without opposite picture for women. This hinders the opportunity for women to ever outperform men in the formal sector, given that men will always be more in the formal sector than women.
Gender characteristics at the work place
Women are associated with empathy at the work place while men are considered to be aggressive. These stereotypes are sufficient to determine whether women are really outperforming men in the formal sector or it the other way round. However, women are team players and persuasive, and these characters are very essential for success at work.
The gender pay gap
Women are normally paid less than their male counterparts doing the same job. This is because of the interplay of several workplace, society and family factors. There are also some tasks that are considered to be suitable for men and other for women, and this is the reason behind the gender pay gap that is very painful to women. Other factors include:
Industrial and occupational segregation. These forms of segregation actually make it difficult to determine whether or not women are outperforming men at the work place. There are some industries that require female labor and others that require male labor. Usually, those industries requiring male-dominated labor pay higher wages that those that require female labor.
There are a few women occupying senior organizations. Women also have limited access to flexible and part-time senior positions. Women also have less access to flexible work opportunities because they are always busy doing the unpaid caring work. Differences in education, seniority and work experience also put men in a position of higher performance than women. Direct and indirect discrimination.
A gender-sensitive analysis of employment patterns and trends reveals that women’s performance in the formal sector deserves plaudits. However, their levels of performance are yet to be at par with that of men, and thus women are yet to outperform men in the formal sector. This is because some people see the issue of economic equality for women as rather outdated, out of tune with a supposed new world of opportunity that has opened up with higher education for women and a more equal division of work between men and women.”
