Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Walls - International Labour ...

and family balance, the needs of workers with family responsibilities need to be
taken into account through planning and promoting community services such
as childcare, family services, leisure programmes. Flexibility in working conditions
and social security of families need to be looked into.
2) Reproduction of Gender Roles/Responsibilities
There are other gender-based assumptions at the workplace as well. These
relate to particular job categories, trades, positions, and even individual
companies, which continue to consider women in an unequal light.
For instance, there was a general impression that field sales should be
carried out by men due to the potential situations that women could face on
circuit. It was assumed that female personnel would find it difficult/would
not want to travel long distances/in rural areas/spend nights out/associate
with male distributors etc.
These gender-based assumptions are directly connected to the stereotypical
expectations of gendered roles, responsibilities, characteristics and behavioural
patterns that society imposes on men and women. But, it is heartening to note
that in certain instances, women have shattered these barriers, and today, one
finds a number of women working in marketing/sales/distribution.
At the same time, the gender roles and in relations between men and
women played out within family units are seen to be reproduced at the
workplace when it comes to informal activities such as organizing and
preparing company welfare activities. Women were involved in food
preparation and serving, gift wrapping and decorations, while men took charge
of giving overall leadership, organizing transport, etc.
In this context, it is vital that work organizations realize that the workplace
can be a site that reproduces the power play of gender relations in society;
constricting men and women to narrow frames of activity, restricting their
potential. In particular, gender has to be factored into the work relationships.
Ongoing working practices have to be scrutinized in the context of (i) changing
gender roles in the family and community, (ii) increased recognition of joint
responsibilities within the family, (iii) heightened awareness of rights of women,
(iv) work-family balance and iv) good governance/corporate social responsibilities.
This involves concepts and practices such as flexi time, working from home,
work share, crèches and domestic labour allowances, to be considered as
practices that can contribute to the productivity of women as well as men.
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