Glass Ceiling Upon Females in Australia Has Been Eliminated

1151 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: explain the advantages and challenges of women in leadership roles, both politically and in corporate management

Women throughout Australian work history have continually been restrained due to their sex (D. Miles 2002). This was due to multiple reasons spanning from caring for the family to blatant discrimination against females (M. Leahy 2011). Over the past twenty years this glass ceiling has diminished (M. Leahy 2011). A glass ceiling is an unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of a minority (Oxford Dictionaries 2014). Australia is an extremely sound country economically and socially, providing a brilliant platform for females to engage in anything they wish to pursue. This essay will display an opinion that does not believe there is a glass ceiling hanging over females within Australian work practices. This paper will refer to issues that relate to equality, power, fairness and universalisation. These issues will help support and justify why the glass ceiling upon females in Australian work practices has been eliminated.

Power has changed dramatically throughout a female’s life over the past twenty years, not just in Australia but also throughout the world. Power can be defined as the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way (Oxford Dictionaries 2014). As the roles of females have changed to a heavier focus on education that will result in a career, whereas females used to forced to immediately marry once finishing school and then start a family. Although the change in female roles took a massive turn once WWII began, as females were required to take up men’s roles at work, such jobs as working in banks, factories and workshops (E. Tyler May 1988). In hindsight, this period has provided females with a proper stepping-stone for the rise of female power throug...

... middle of paper ...

...n/english/power?q=power

8. Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. “Glass Ceiling”. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/glass-ceiling?q=glass+ceiling

9. Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. “Deontology”. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/deontology?q=Deontology

10. Phillips, Robert. 1997. “Stake Holder Theory and A Principle of fairness”. Business Ethics Quarterly 7.1.

11. Tyler May, Elaine. 1988. “How did World War II Change Women’s Employment Possibilities. http://kcts9.org/sites/default/files/unit5_readings_womenandworkafterwwii.pdf 12. United Nations Population Fund. 2008. “Gender Equality Empowering Women”.
13. http://www.unfpa.org/gender/empowerment.htm

14. Zhao, Yilang. 2011. “Contemporary Working Capital Practices in Australia. School of Economics, Finance and Marketing. RMIT University.

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Australian Identity

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    Yet, it was generally established that women are proceeding to develop an equivalent opportunity to their male counterparts, such as the example of Australia’s first female prime minister in 2010. This case displays the mounting support towards women within Australian society. With further emphasis of women in society, Australian women may soon become equal to their male counterparts, and then allowing equal power among the

    Read More

  • Taking a Closer Look at the Golding Sisters

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Strachan, G., 2013. Still working for the man? Women's employment experiences in Australia since 1950. [Online]

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Australian Society During World War II

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the World War II era, the outlook on the role of women in Australian society revolutionised. As a majority of men were at war, Australian women were encouraged to rise above and beyond their stereotypical ‘housewife’ status. They were required to take on the tasks that were once considered predominantly male roles, and also allowed the opportunity to join the armed services as well as enlist in the Women’s Land Army. Many women who doubted their abilities played their part by entering voluntary work. Women had the privilege of contributing in Australian society in many ways that they had never been able before. Thus, it is manifest that the role of women in Australian society had drastically changed.

    Read More

  • Managing Workplace Relations

    2007 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gaze, G (2009) ‘The Sex Discrimination Act after 25 years: What is its role in eliminating gender inequality and discrimination in Australia?’, Insights, vol.7,p.13-17, viewed 5 October 2011, .

    Read More

  • Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1974 - Gender and Sexual Discrimination

    2159 Words  | 5 Pages

    Despite legislation for equal opportunities, sexism is still evident in the workplace. Women have made great advancements in the workforce and have become an integral part of the labor market. They have greater access to higher education and as a result, greater access to traditionally male dominated professions such as law. While statistics show that women are equal to men in terms of their numbers in the law profession, it is clear however, that they have not yet achieved equality in all other areas of their employment. Discrimination in the form of gender, sex and sexual harassment continues to be a problem in today’s society.

    Read More

  • How Did Ww2 Affect Australian Women

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whilst many were expected to give up their jobs when soldiers returned, as they had done after World War I, social attitudes towards what women were capable of doing had been changed by the experience. Despite these fuelling women’s attempts to achieve better conditions and pay for themselves in the workforce, the post-war era was very materialistic and entrenched the ideal that women should only be wives and mothers and look after the home. Women have more choice and freedom now as is illustrated for example by their sexual freedom and control over reproduction. Women have been able to reach high executive positions in politics, the professions and in business. It is, however, far more difficult for women to attain these positions than it is for men. Laws attempting to create equal pay and equal opportunity for women do not automatically ensure that this is the reality for women. Women's and men's roles in the home have changed little despite the women's liberation movement. Education on the other hand has significantly improved in terms of female and male

    Read More

  • Women in the Workplace

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the 1920s, women struggled to develop a work identity that would give them professional status and preserve their femininity (Walkowitz, 1051). They wanted to be eligible for an executive position, but at the same time they also wanted to be Women finally began working outside the home, but not yet at the level, status, and rank they deserved. They deserved

    Read More

  • Inequality In The Workplace

    1827 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to the article “It’s a Man’s World”, many fields are still male-dominated even though women have slowly started entering them. Historically women have been time and again been denied to enter certain occupations based on gender. Women still face many of the same challenges addressed in working in a male-dominated career. Earning the respect of their male colleagues, obtaining the same promotions and balancing work and home life appear to remain at the forefront of issues still in need of being addressed.

    Read More

  • Sexism In Workplace

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is a general notion that the people in the workplace have to be valued for their capability in doing a job, but this is far from true rampant nepotism prevalent in many workplaces where men are preferred over women to do a particular task. This discrimination has stunted the growth of women in the workplace as they were looking over to do jobs, even if they were capable of doing them. Legally, it has never been agreed t...

    Read More

  • A Corporate Code of Ethics is Not Enough

    2353 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wee, Heesun. “Corporate Ethics: Right Makes Might.” Business Week Online. Ed. Douglas Harbrecht. 11 Apr. 2002. 3 Mar. 2005.

    Read More

  • The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Treated Differently than Men?

    2902 Words  | 6 Pages

    Unfortunately, even today, women are still trying to prove themselves equal to men in many ways. The “glass ceiling” is perhaps one of the most familiar and evocative metaphors to surface from the 20th century. This expression has been used widely in the popular media as well as in official government reports. The image suggest that although it may be the case now that women are able to get through the front door professional hierarchies, at some point they hit an invisible barrier that blocks any further upward movement. “Below this barrier, women are able to get promoted; beyond this barrier, they are not”. Such a situation can be considered a limiting case for a more general phenomenon: situations in which the disadvantages women face relative to men strengthen as they move up executive hierarches. “Traditional approaches to recruitment, organization and job design, performance management and promotions are often designed in ways that are more suited to men than to women. This is what creates the glass ceiling”. Beyond the limit of job titles, the glass ceiling also creates a pay difference between men and women performing the same work requirements.

    Read More

  • Inequality In The Workplace

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    For many decades, women have faced inequalities in the workforce. At one point, they were not allowed to work at all. Although women's rights have improved and are now able to work alongside men, they are still treated unfairly. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, women’s earnings were “76.5 percent of men’s” (1). In 2012, men, on average, earned $47,398 and women earned only $35,791. This is when comparing employees where both gender spend the same amount of time working. Not only do women encounter unfairness in work pay, they also face a “glass ceiling” on a promotional basis. This glass ceiling is a “promotion barrier that prevents woman’s upward ability” (2). For example, if a woman is able to enter a job traditionally for men, she will still not receive the same pay or experience the same increase in occupational ability. Gender typing plays a huge role in the workplace. It is the idea that women tend to hold jobs that are low paid with low status. Women are not highly considered in leadership positions because of social construction of gender. Society has given women the role of “caretakers” and sensitive individuals. Therefore, women are not depicted as authoritative figures, which is apparent with the absence of women in leadership roles in companies. Furthermore, sex segregation leads to occupations with either the emphasis of women in a certain job or men in a certain job. In 2009, occupations with the highest proportion of women included “secretary, child care worker, hair dresser, cashier, bookkeeper, etc.” (3). Male workers typically held job positions as construction workers, truck drivers, taxi drivers, etc. (3). Sex segregation represents inequality because the gender composition for these jobs depends on what ...

    Read More

  • Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

    1807 Words  | 4 Pages

    Carroll, A. B. (1996). Business & Society: Ethics and stakeholders management. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing.

    Read More

  • The Challenges Faced By Women

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    It can be concluded that women are treated in terms of stereotyped impressions of being the lowest class and greater evidence can be found that there are large disparities between the women and the men 's class. It can be seen that women are more likely to play casual roles as they are most likely to take seasonal and part time work so that they can work according to their needs. They are hampered from progressing upward into the organizations as they face problems like lack of health insurance, sexual harassments, lower wage rates, gender biases and attitudes of negative behavior. However, this wouldn’t have hampered the participation of the women in the work force and they continue to increase their efforts which is highly evident in the occupational and job ratios of females in the industry.

    Read More

  • Gender Reflection Paper

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    It will be one of the luckiest things in the world if people could just do what they love in their careers, and pursue their dreams without any fears or worries about how society and others judge them. However, women in this society do not obtain the same rights that men own; many inequalities hinder women to live and work. From this class, I learned a lot about gender affects work, and women and men’ roles can be very different in the work. In many industries, even though women get same education and professional degrees as men do, they are hired at lower rates than men are. Many women meet glass ceilings and find it is hard to attain the highest status in the profession, and this causes the society locks women out of higher level

    Read More

More about Glass Ceiling Upon Females in Australia Has Been Eliminated

Open Document