Running Head: GENDER ISSUES 1

Gender Issues in the Workplace

Harley A. Senical

Arizona State University

OGL 345 Final

Dec 3, 2021
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Gender Issues in the Workplace.

Gender issues, more specifically inequality, in the workplace have been controversial for

years. It is a topic few had talked about recently when equality was brought forth throughout the

media and in our society, but do we genuinely understand how inequality among men and

women has been affecting society? Jobs, health, and education are all affected by what we

interpret as the meaning of gender equality. Equality is defined as getting respect and giving

respect regardless of human factors through fair treatment and maximized happiness. This can

only happen by applying ethical theories to society rather than debating the meaning of gender

equality. Therefore, defining gender equality should be the role of society by utilizing ethical

theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. There is an issue of equality in

the workplace, and it needs to be addressed.

As mentioned previously, the topic of gender inequality and other issues, until recently,

has been one of many taboo conversations. According to the International Trade Union

Confederation (ITUC), the issue of gender in the workplace has recently become a matter of

concern. The global gender ratio of the work place is 53% male workers to 47% female workers

and the unemployment rate among women is much lower than that of men. What is concerning

about this is that the percentage of women represented in this labor force bracket are mainly

concentrated in low-wage jobs. In other areas of employment such as health care or

entertainment, statistics show that women have better opportunities to showcase their abilities to

contribute to the development of the economy, but only these careers (Parker, 2018). Women are

paid especially low wages in so-called “women’s jobs” such as: the cleaning industry and child

care. Because women have no other option, they are increasingly choosing to enter traditionally

male jobs. Women have been a victim of common stereotypes that discourage them from
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entering predominantly male jobs, but those that are breaking tradition are exposed to

discrimination and other gender-related matters that create a hostile work environment. Gender

in the workplace is such an important area that relevant ethical policies must be put in place to

address these issues if we are to achieve a social balance between males and females in

organizations.

John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill argued both for utilitarianism and against the

subjection of women. Consequentialism, one of the major theories of normative ethics, maintains

that the moral rightness of an act is determined solely by the act's consequences. The traditional

form of consequentialism is one-dimensional, in that the rightness of an act is a function of a

single moral aspect, such as the sum total of well-being it produces (consequentialism, 2020). In

The Subjection of Women (1869), Mill argues that the desirable outcome of human progress

generally is slowed by women’s legal and social subordination. In order to advance as a society,

there needs to be equality. In a business environment, equality is essential to achieving and

exceeding goals set by the organization. You need people that are different from you to help see

things from other perspectives. Mill adds that not only each woman’s but each man’s moral

character is harmed by the inequality of gender in society. Consistent with the utilitarian

principle that everyone counts equally and no single person’s preferences count more than

another’s, Mill argues that men and women are fundamentally equal in their capacities for higher

and lower pleasures and, arguably, in their responsibilities and interests (Mendus 1994). So this

poses the question, why are we still struggling with gender equality in the workplace? Creating

equality and diversity in the workplace will only help us in our long term goals as a society and

as a workforce.
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Let’s take a look at another ethical theory in regards to gender issues. Deontological

ethics is defined as an ethical theory that “place(s) special emphasis on the relationship between

duty and the morality of human actions…. An action is considered morally good because of

some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good”

(deontological ethics, 2020), which is, essentially, the opposite of consequentialism but equally

complex. Deontology is a moral obligation or duty to act relating to a principle or rule, requiring

the act of humanity, and is never the treatment as a means to an end. The basic rule of

deontology is that one should act in a way that maximizes the morality of the act so that it can

become a universal law. It is a rigid theory that fails to capture the complex issues that arise, so

one would need to act as everyone would act in that specific situation. Deontology can impact

human life within society through the application of gender equality in areas of employment. The

principles of respect and fair treatment can apply to specific areas in society to convey the

meaning to equality among men and women. It promotes a better environment for all based on

the duty, rule, or principle in any situation. Using deontology, there is a way to build the

connection between genders by creating a positive and equal society for our future generations

based on the universal law of equality. An example of applied deontology is as simple as a rule

of fairness in the workplace. By granting women the same rights routinely granted to men in

positions of power, we would enable women’s freedom. Feminist ethicists have long argued that

we should acknowledge women’s equal capacities for moral agency and extend human rights to

them (Hay 2013). In addition to women-specific gender roles, men should have equal

opportunities as well, i.e. fairness in wages, working conditions, and opportunities for promotion

without discrimination against gender. Men are also subject to gender issues. Take the nursing

career field, for example, men are often discriminated against solely based on their gender, but if
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men were given the respect to proving they are just as good and capable as their women

counterparts, we could end gender issues in this field. By creating the universal law of reviewing

job performance solely based on skill, all opportunities would be presented to all employees.

These principles of respect and fair treatment will form a new society that is able to grow and

develop positive practices toward a universal humanitarian act through nature by promoting

gender equality. Deontology resolves discrimination by applying principles of duty, developing a

universal law, and never using someone else as a means to an end. It devises and develops rules

that make sense (Mosser, 2008). While building on existing frameworks of liberalism, rights

theory, and deontology, ethicists have argued for granting rights where they have been

previously neglected (Brennan 2010).

Even in Virtue Ethics, does equality between the genders create a better society? Some

ethicists even argue that virtue ethics, which focuses on living a good life, offers the best

approach to making sure that ethical theory correctly represents correct working conditions for

all types of people to thrive. Although virtue ethics is most notably associated with Aristotle,

whose masculine ideology and outlook is not really considered relevant for the female gender

(Berges 2015, 3–4), women activists and their counterparts have critically analyzed this ideology

with questions about which virtues and qualities of character would promote a good life in the

context of subordination. Virtue ethics, in general, tend to focus primarily on the importance of

how emotions and interpersonal relationships affect a person's moral development. Some virtue

ethics focus, additionally, on what opportunities for ‘good’ are available to people in particular

social contexts, which is useful in ethics when it comes to describing our responsibilities as

humans and as people who may show pain resulting from past trauma (Tessman 2005). Virtue

ethics gives more opportunities for employers to take part in virtues such as integrity and
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courage in work centers that the other ethical theories tend not to prioritize. Tessman argues that

when people live under problematic conditions, their opportunities to thrive are blocked and their

pursuits can be hopeless. She suggests that “the burdened virtues include all those traits that

make a contribution to human flourishing—if they succeed in doing so at all—only because they

enable the survival of or resistance to oppression …, while in other ways they detract from their

bearer's well-being, in some cases so deeply that their bearer may be said to lead a wretched life”

(Tessman, 2005. p. 95).

Now seeing that there are in fact gender issues in the workplace, how do we resolve the

issue and come up with a way to implement it? Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles

or treating others as you would want to be treated, so we do just that. Treat others as we would

like to be treated. The best way for employers to implement and support ethical behavior in an

organization is to first get the leadership in the organization to support, promote, and enforce

ethics policies. Once leadership support is established, then the group should work together,

alongside the human resources department, to determine what ethical policies are needed to

make sure the problem is being properly addressed within the organization. While compiling

ethical policies, managers should include followers for input and suggestions with writing and

reviewing policies. Throughout this process of establishing ethical policies, the entire

organization needs to be informed of how the policies will affect the way the business will be run

and how that will affect employees behavior and business practices. Upon completion of the

policies, all employees will receive a copy through email, the policies will be posted in

accessible places as well as their website. In addition to posting the policies and making sure

every employee has access to them, human resources should be developing ideal training

material to address any issues aligning the workforce to these new policies. It will then be up to
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the organization and the employees to enforce these changes and take ownership of them, the

only way to change the issue is to change the culture surrounding it.

Gender issues, more specifically inequality, in the workplace have been controversial for

years. It is a topic few had talked about, until recently when equality was brought forth

throughout the media and in our society. Jobs, health, and education are all affected by what we

interpret as the meaning of gender equality. Equality is defined as getting respect and giving

respect regardless of human factors through fair treatment and maximized happiness. This can

only happen by applying ethical theories to society. Therefore, defining gender equality should

be the role of society by utilizing ethical theories. The theories can be consequentialist or non-

consequentialist acts that develop and maintain good ethical values within the workplace

community. Good morality and ethical values promote a better life filled with respect, fairness,

and maximized happiness. A society can productively confront extreme intolerance to gender

equality through the theories of deontology and utilitarianism that minimize violence, abuse, and

mental illness and develop problem-solving skills in employment, health, and education. A

universal law is preferred to create gender equality through changing policies to create a clear

meaning. There is an issue of equality in the workplace, and now is our time to change.
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References

Berges, S. (2015). A Feminist Perspective on Virtue Ethics. London: Palgrave-Macmillan.

Brennan, S. (2010). Feminist Ethics. The Routledge Companion to Ethics, London: Routledge.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, May 21). consequentialism. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/consequentialism

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, May 21). deontological ethics. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/deontological-ethics

Hay, C. (2013). Kantianism, Liberalism, and Feminism: Resisting Oppression. London:

Palgrave-Macmillan.

Norlock, K. (Summer 2019) Feminist Ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/entries/feminism-ethics/>

Mill, J. (1869) Three Essays: On Liberty, Representative Government, The Subjection of

Women. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Mendus, S. (1994) John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor on Women and Marriage. Utilitas, 6 (2):

287–299.

Mosser, K. (2008). Necessity & possibility the logical strategy of Kant’s critique of pure reason.

Catholic University of America Press.

Parker, K. (March 7, 2018). Women in Majority-Male Workplaces Report Higher Rates of

Gender Discrimination. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/07/women-in-majority-male-

workplaces-report-higher-rates-of-gender-discrimination/

Tessman, L. (2005). Burdened Virtues: Virtue Ethics for Liberatory Struggles, Oxford: Oxford

University Press.