English: Gender Discrimination in My Workplace, Essay Example

The policing profession was traditionally a male dominated discipline as many gender oriented ones in the society comparably, nursing, piloting and engineering. Currently, in the department where I function as a police officer there is a staff combination of 15 (fifteen) males and 6 (six) females. Among the leaders in my organization the 6 (six) senior staff are men. One woman was recently appointed to one of the ten (10) positions available in my unit. This organization has a history of all senior positions being held by male police officers. For the past ten years only one female member of the team was appointed to a lower management position. She is the officer now functioning in the present position as senior traffic controller of that department.

While Federal laws strongly sanction gender discrimination in the workplace my law enforcement organization seem to have no respect for this law with regards to policy enforcement and maintenance. For example, just last week a 911 call for back up squad due to unrest in a severely drug infested community, a senior male officer ordered the only two (2) women police on duty to go out leaving five (5) males in the office to monitor operations.

It seemed to us women officers that this was a clear case of gender bias. When we raised the issue with our immediate supervisor whose initiative it was to send the women out on the streets to face danger, his response was ‘ladies before gents. You all always want be in the lime light take it up now.’ He further heckled that it is difficult to prove gender discrimination according to how the laws are written, so we did not have a case. The subsequent contention was that the men he chose to keep in office performed duties we could not do.

However, from my research five distinct features could identify gender discrimination within a workplace. They encompass if a manager deliberately promotes males above females employees who possess the same qualifications or abilities to function in the position. A second important criterion relates to when an employer or persons in positions of power make derogatory remarks that are insultive or offensive to an employee of the opposite sex. Another important element is when employers through their actions indicate a desire to engage in sexual relations with an employee of the opposite sex.  The fifth and final criterion indicative of gender discrimination in the workplace is if employers ask employees inappropriate questions concerning their sex life or touches them inappropriately without consent (Black, Haviland, Sanders, Taylor, 635).

This law covers workplaces with 15 (fifteen) or more employees in an and embodies equal pay between sexes; equal opportunities; equal recognition; equal incentive awards and equal access to facilities provided by the administration such as training and exchange job programs.  As such, gender discrimination in the workplace is unacceptable  for any society or organization because it hinders true progress at both the individual as well as organizational levels.

In my situation it pertained specifically towards discrimination in opportunities for promotion and disrespect due to my gender. It is mandatory that measures be taken by me in finding solutions because many other female employees at my location and abroad among the policing professions encounter this peculiar problem. Some women spend their entire career in an entry level position. Currently, the policing culture has taught women to be silent about discrimination because of male professional dominance accompanied by chauvinism (Price, 12).

The significance of me designing a resolution pertains to the fact that gender discrimination against women in policing has risen to international proportions. Studies in countries across the world have revealed that promotions of female police are fewer than males. The male dominant profession functions within a culture of women being less efficient while equally qualified. They are mocked and remain unsupported when given administrative positions comparable to male police. Besides, they are often disrespected in their policing duties by male counterparts as well as the male administration. Few women in certain countries rise to dominance in the profession even though attempts are being made by policy makers to recruit more women in the service (Prenzler & Sinclair, 115).

My first approach towards addressing this issue in my organization is calling it to the attention to human resource management department in my organization by first writing a letter seeking audience to discuss the situation. All the data, which have been collected and verified will be outlined in my letter and accompany me to the interview. If after a month there is no response to my concern I will call the department to make sure that the correspondence was received.

Once I receive a delivery mail receipt, there is no doubt that the mail was received. I will still seek an audience with the chief human resource management officer. If an amicable decision cannot be reached I will then begin a petition obtaining signatures of female police in my county advocating revision of laws ensuring compliance in the policing profession of regulations pertaining to gender discrimination in the organization.

The effects of this solution is expected to change the way male police have traditionally interacted with their female counterparts in the profession with respect to performance of duties, opportunities for promotion and access to facilities. An obvious objection to my attempted solution has always been and could still be that, there is no such issue in the profession. Importantly, it is clear that there are more men than women in the profession.

Women are very sensitive and make up issues that do not exist due to their personal domestic or otherwise   cultural relationships with males.  A complaint was never made about this irregularity in the policing profession. This solution is not realistic. Nothing can be done for mandatory compliance of a law, which already exists. There is a long process getting through to policy makers giving attention to such an isolated issue as compliance to gender discrimination in a law enforcement organization.

My response to these objections is approaching the women police organization, which is influential in policy enforcement for law enforcement units within the service. This organization collaborates with higher administrative officials. It is responsible for addressing women issues in the profession, which are overlooked by policy executors within the system. It was discovered that these strategists undermine women’s progress in the organization. Women are active participants in their work environment and must be given the same opportunities as males in the profession. Gender discrimination in the workplace is an unacceptable practice for any society or organization because it hinders true progress at both the individual as well as organizational levels.

Works cited

Black Dan ; Haviland Amelia ; Sanders Seth; Taylor, Lowell. Gender Wage Disparities among the Highly Educated. Journal of Human Resources, 43 (3) 2008; 630–659.

Prenzler Tim; Sinclair Georgina. The status of women police officers: an international review.International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 41(2) 2013; 115–131.Print

Price Barbara. Female Police Officers in the United States. Accessed on October 25^th, 2015 from https://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/fem635.htm web.