– Top Lal Panthi
As per the Mother Nature creation and gift both her son and daughter have equal rights. So, there must not be any discrimination based on their biological sex, which has been done by clever ancient sages incorporating their misogynist thoughts in holy texts and society has instilled in the mindset of innocent and ignorant people that has promoted Gender Based Discrimination.
In the 1970s, as the Women’s Liberation Movement supported more and more women in the workforce, larger discussions arose around the distinct pay discrepancy between men and women of similar roles and experiences. From this gender discrepancy, the term “pink-collar ghetto” was coined. Pink-collar jobs were paid less than both white and blue-collared jobs (typically held by men) and required less schooling than white-collar jobs. In terms of developing country, we may snap many pictures of glass ceiling for the women, even in Nepal.
There are many reasons behind the circumstances, if we review the scenario of top corporate houses in Nepalese business environment, pregnant women, working mothers and even women of childbearing age may face what is referred to as a “maternal wall.” Certain stereotypes related to women’s role in their family and needing to take time off after birth and for childcare often place women at a disadvantage in their careers compared to men and fathers. In this regard when and how does Nepalese economy can compete with the developed country? How it is possible to develop competitive advantages for the succession of business in international level?
Unfortunately, it is human nature to like and be attracted to others who share similar interests, experiences and even appearances to our own. This is especially true when we first come in contact with a new person. Studies have found that when people first read about a stranger, without meeting them, they are significantly more inclined to ‘like’ the stranger if they have something in common. This makes sense since people enjoy connecting with other humans, and when you only have a little bit of information about a stranger, commonalities form the basis for personal connections.
But in what circumstance would you read about a stranger before actually meeting them? This exact scenario happens day in and day out for recruiters, HR professionals, hiring managers and executives. When they review resumes, performance reports and letters of recommendations about people they may not know directly, they make hiring and promoting decisions based on the limited information they have.
And for people in a position of power and authority, working with someone they believe to have a connection with and will work well with is enough for them to promote someone. In many circumstances, the decision to hire or promote someone can be influenced by something as peripheral as being in the same fraternity/sorority or coming from a similar background. Instead, employers should hire or promote individuals that will ‘add’ to the organization in a new and innovative way rather than fit in with the current team. Psychologically, we can understand that if cisgender white men are predominantly in positions of power, they are going to perpetuate the trend of hiring and promoting individuals who are similar to them. Until and unless the perception of unenthusiastic towards the woman worker is not changed, no organizations can survive for long term; the first and foremost characteristic of business organization is long term entity itself.
Finally Nepalese business organizations should go through the concept of strategic human resource management rather than following nepotism, racial discrimination and gender biasness, because objective of business are regarded as profit maximization with fulfilling the expectation of their stakeholders at all.
(Lecturer of Business Environment and Strategic Management, St.Xavier’s College, Maitighar Kathmandu)
