➡ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙨, 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
Despite progress in recent years towards gender equality, women in the Maldives still face significant challenges when it comes to their role in the workforce. From the lack of women in leadership positions to discrimination and harassment, these issues stem from deeply ingrained societal norms and values that continue to marginalize women in professional settings. While legislation has been put in place to address these issues, there is still room for improvement in broadening opportunities for us women and breaking down barriers that prevent us from succeeding in our careers.
Gender Equality Just on Paper
In many workplaces around the world, gender equality regulations are in place to protect women against discrimination. However, the sad reality is that often these regulations are simply not enough. To make matters worse, when women speak up about instances of discrimination, we are often silenced or ignored by our colleagues and management. For us women, the reality is that we simply cannot rely on our employers to help us achieve justice.
Leadership Positions are Still a NO
Despite progress towards gender equality in the workplace, women in the Maldives still face significant barriers to obtaining leadership positions. The lack of representation not only perpetuates gender inequality but also limits the diversity of ideas and perspectives in decision-making processes. More efforts are needed to break down these barriers and create a level playing field for all employees, regardless of gender. This includes implementing quotas for women in leadership positions and providing mentorship and training opportunities for women to advance in their careers.
Belittlement and Discrimination are Thriving
It is no secret that women often face belittlement and discrimination in the workplace, ranging from being talked over in meetings to having our ideas dismissed or marginalized, or being told we are "too emotional" or "bossy" for exhibiting leadership qualities. These experiences can be demoralizing and hinder our ability to contribute fully to our team. It is crucial for employers to acknowledge these issues and take steps towards creating a more inclusive and respectful environment for all employees. This includes providing diversity and sensitivity training, as well as implementing clear policies and consequences for discriminatory behavior.
Harassment is still Alive
Harassment in the workplace is an issue that many women continue to face, hindering our ability to succeed and feel safe in our jobs. From unwanted comments and advances to physical assault, these experiences not only impact our mental and emotional well-being but also create a toxic work environment. Employers must take proactive measures to prevent and address incidents of sexual harassment, including regular training and policies with clear repercussions for those who engage in such behaviours. Creating a safe and respectful workplace for all employees should be a top priority in any organization.
Men Incharge of Harassment Committees are just more Trouble
While it's important for both men and women to be involved in creating a safe and respectful workplace, putting men in charge of sexual harassment committees may not be the best approach. This can reinforce power imbalances and perpetuate a culture of patriarchy, rather than addressing the issue at its root. Instead, employers can take measures to ensure that all employees, regardless of gender, receive training on how to recognize and prevent sexual harassment. It's also important to have clear and fair processes for reporting and addressing incidents of harassment, with input from both women and men.