Many women face obstacles when they are trying to start their career or business. There is no doubt that talented women of all races have much to contribute to the country's economic growth. Why are women not able to contribute as much as it is hoped for? Most obvious reasons such as lack of ideal work environment, discrimination by supervisors and toxic colleagues are to some extent responsible. In addition, plenty of myths exist in the society, which create obstacles in the path. For instance, many women do not want to move to higher positions, do not take bold decisions, or are not willing to take risks where necessary.
Changing the perceptions about women will depend, in part, on increasing women's visibility in leadership positions within the corporate community. Good news is significant changes have occurred over the last decade contributing to increasing number of females entering the workforce worldwide.
Despite the gains, women still face huge obstacles. People now talk about challenges women face in career more openly, but it does not assess how women feel, or how they fare in their day-to-day work life, and the mental barriers they encounter. Thomson Reuters Foundation asked more than 9,500 women to identify the top five issues. They found that work-life balance, equal pay, harassment, career opportunities, balancing children and career are the most difficult issues faced by women at work.
A mother of two children who is a doctor gave her opinion about work-life balance: "I had different plans for my future career. But when you have children that plan changes. I won't judge whether it is a positive or negative change for me, but it has shifted my focus from my career approaches. It is not same for my husband, as it is for me." Work-family conflict results from inter-role conflict caused by incompatible or conflicting pressures from work and family domains, including job-family role strain, work-family interference and work-nonworking role conflict.
When it comes down to harassment issues faced by women, a British online survey of 25,000 people carried out by global professional services firm PwC reported that some 52 per cent of women said they experienced bullying and harassment at work over the previous three years. Examples of bullying and harassment ranged from being deliberately undermined to victimisation, or the intentional blocking of career progression.
Inga Beale, the ex-CEO of insurance market Lloyd's of London, once pointed out why women do not feel safe as other men do in the work place. She stated: 'Automatic protectionism' among senior men exists which women traditionally have not had that network of support that men tend to have, so in that sense they have nothing to lose by rocking the boat and challenging the way things are.
Shockingly, bullying of women was not always being perpetrated by male colleagues, but was quiet often females on females. It is a new issue which is coming forward-- how women sabotage other women in the career path.
In short, the immediate solution seems simple. Women need to protect each other--like a club. However, several global findings suggest, women do exactly the opposite. Michelle Duguid, an assistant professor at Washington University's Olin Business School research team found that the higher a woman rose to power, the less likely she might help other women to do the same. Women produce a perception of threat: it could be competitive threat--the concern that another woman will be valued more; and favouritism threat--the concern that supporting another woman will be seen as illegitimate favouritism. Nonetheless, having a community of women that one share goals and dreams with will be highly beneficial as it keeps women more accountable to themselves. These people will help you point out things that you may be too close to see clearly. Supporting other women could also be rewarding and is the clearest way to receive the support you need when you need it.
Women need relationships with other women so that they can share similar drive and visions in life, love and personal development. They also need to believe that they have the power to change the conversation when women are being torn down about their bodies, their choices, their decisions, about how they choose to show up in the world.
The writer is currently working in Psychological Health and Wellness Clinic as a counsellor psychologist. She has completed her master’s from Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of Dhaka. She can be reached at
