Improving the bottom line Women continue to occupy the lower and middle ranks of organizations, have unequal access to training and promotion, encounter difficulty entering male-dominated professions, and are paid less than men for equal work . This despite the rapid rise in women's labour force participation over the past two decades, constituting approximately half of the workforce in many countries.
Gender equity is good for business.
Faced with increasing competition in the global marketplace, an organization's human resources are increasingly recognized as its most precious asset. Competitive advantage, therefore, lies with organizations which maximize the potential of their entire workforce, and address the needs and aspirations of all of their workers, both male and female. Gender equity also affects the bottom line. The different perspectives, attitudes and work styles men and women bring to the workplace foster innovation and creativity. To address these obstacles, it is vital to recognize that organizational practices are usually not gender neutral, but have largely been designed by men, for men, with organizational cultures which value masculine over feminine work styles and impose a choice of career over family life.