Glass Ceiling
It is the major manifestation of
gender discrimination in corporate establishments. Its most talked about aspect
is the sexual harassment of women employees and the attempts to hush up the
matter if the harassment comes to light.
Double standards are seen in
motion just not in squeezing out carnal pleasures, a direct indicative of the
widespread immorality in such work cultures, but are also seen in employment
opportunities, in equity of wages and in workplace etiquette expected to be
observed.
Tarun Tejpal’s case is a recent
one, much talked about, burning example of such a work culture. And it is not
just because of the men that the situation has become so discriminating. Sometimes,
powerful corporate women, too, play a significant role as we saw the lame
excuses and duplicitous attitude of Shoma Chaudhury in Tejpal and Tehelka sex
scandal case.
Serious attempts are not being
made to address the real issues in real terms. Instead, the emphasis is on easy
and escapist measures like reducing the women headcount from the workforce. The
practice is gaining serious acceptance in organizations with odd and 24/7 hours
working conditions. Such outfits are either slowing or are not hiring women
employees so as to avoid being liable for their security. Doing so is the
breach and denial of the basic human rights of equal opportunity.
It is true we have many good
names, the women achievers, to talk and write about who have created a space
for them scaling the top of the corporate management leadership positions yet
the real battle lies in bringing uniformity at every level of a workplace.
The Global Gender Gap Index 2012 by
the World Economic Forum ranks India
at 105th place. The survey was carried in 135 countries.
An observation by UNDP (United
Nations Development Programme) says: India
has a rich history of women in positions of power, yet the country ranks 129 out
of 146 countries on the Gender Inequality Index, and women in India face
barriers at all levels in areas such as food insecurity and education.
(March 2012)