Issues in managing women career development in a firm while attempting to strike a balance between family, domestic and other personal commitments on one hand and demands of workplace objectives

1. Emerging Gender Issues
Balancing Work-Life

2. Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants should be able to
do the following:
• Identify the evolutionary path of modern workplace
within the context of gender issues
• Identify the key drivers of women career
development and the barriers that must be
surmounted
• Identify domestic issues of concern in a woman’s
personal life
• Identify the role of law and policy in achievement of
work-life balance

3. “Companies today cannot afford to ignore
the issue of work-life balance. Providing
employees the flexibility to address
personal commitments, without
compromising the needs of the business,
can make the difference between a good
working environment and a great one.”
- Diane Domeyer

4. Work Life Balance is the creation of a work
environment that provides flexibility for
employees to enable them to achieve a
better balance between work, family and
life commitments.
Source: Government of Western Australia

5. Stages in Evolution of Modern Workplace

6. Evolution of Modern Workplace
The modern workplace is characterized by
increasing number of women which gave rise
to the following challenges.
1.Gender Equality
2.Equal Pay
3.Glass Ceiling at Top Echelon
4.Gendered Stereotypes
5.Gender Reassignment
6.Responsibility of Birthing and Lactation

7. Further Issues in Workplace
• Lack of cooperation between men and women
• Prevalent mindset about lower capability of
women
• Misinterpretation of religion
• Low awareness of women rights
• Non-availability of breastfeeding facility
• Implementation of Paternity leave
• Inequitable practices during promotion
• Gender division of work
• Networking of men

8. "The differences between paychecks have
more to do with the differences between
social classes and increasingly, the
education that, more than anything else
today, determines class membership than
with the differences between the sexes.
Within classes, differences between men
and women persist, although they are
steadily lessening.”
- Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Claims That Women Face Discrimination in the Workplace Are Exaggerated

9. Women make up 50 percent of the global
population. In meeting the challenges of
tomorrow’s economy, businesses cannot
afford to overlook the talents offered by
this half of the population.
Source: Sanofi Aventis

10. Women and Career Development
The demand for equal opportunity at all
levels provided impetus that catalyzed
global awakening in career development
among women.

11. What do women need to advance in the
labour market?
• Self-esteem
• Career development self-efficacy skills
Attitudes + Aptitudes + Aspirations+ Experience
• Evidence of having employability skills
• Sufficient industry/sector-specific technical skills,
that employers are looking for
• Awareness/support/flexibility/money to access re-
training and job opportunities
• Fair and equal recruitment & employment
practices!
Source: Elizabeth Pollitzer

12. Types of Barriers Against Women
Career Development
i. Person- centered barriers
ii. Situation-centered barriers

13. Person-Centered Barriers
• Skills
• Work Enhancing Behaviours
• Personality Traits

14. Situation-Centered Barriers
• Corporate Policy
• Organisational Practices
• Cultural Inclination
• Attitudinal Influence

15. Common Factors that Influence
Women Career Progression
• Duration of work
• Qualification
• Organisational culture
• Workload

16. Measuring Inequality
Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), is a measure of
agency. It evaluates progress in advancing women's
standing in political and economic forums. It
examines the extent to which women and men are
able to actively participate in economic and political
life and take part in decision-making. While the
Gender-related Development Index (GDI) focuses on
expansion of capabilities, the GEM is concerned with
the use of those capabilities to take advantage of the
opportunities of life.
Source: UNDP, Human Development Reports

17. Gender Empowerment Measure
Rank Country Amount
1 Norway 0.837
2 Sweden 0.824
3. Denmark 0.821
4. Finland 0.803
5. Netherlands 0.781
6. Canada 0.777
7. Germany 0.765
7. New Zealand 0.765
9. Australia 0.759
10. United States 0.757
11. Austria 0.745
12. Switzerland 0.718
13. Belgium 0.706
14. United Kingdom 0.684
15. Ireland 0.675
Source: NationMaster.com

18. Women and Family Issues
In most homes especially in Africa, women
coordinate and carry out domestic
labour with the intention of achieving
greatly within the family.

19. Aspects of Domestic Labour
• Household Cleaning
• Shopping
• Caring for ill members of the family
• Laundry
• Cooking
• Nursing Infants

20. Barriers to The Required Change
• Conflicts
• Fear
• Lines of Prohibition
• Inability
• Absence of favourable communal thinking
• Rising individuality profiles
• Resistance

21. Favourable Legislation
• Working Hours
• Leaves
• Minimum Wages

22. Types of Leaves
• Sabbatical Leave
• Long Service Leave
• Carer’s Leave
• Maternity Leave
• Paternity Leave
• Ceremonial Leave
• Compassionate Leave
• Study Leave
• Cultural Leave

23. Corporate Policy
The policy thrust of a forward looking
organisation must be inclined to provide a turf
that accelerates dual agenda, which combines
organisational needs and demands of
worker’s personal life. It must signify a
departure from the old school assumption
about a committed and competent employee
being one who has no other responsibility in
life.

24. Policy Perimeter
Work-Life Policy should encompass flexible work
options, elder care provision, cluster of leave
varieties, culture of work-life balance imbibed
as best practice, periodic conduct of work-life
balance survey, and promotion of awareness
of entitlements which can assist employees in
achieving distinctive balance marks.

25. General Work-Life Benefits
• Child Care
• Elder Care
• In-House Services
• Variety of Leaves
• Flexi-Time
• eWorking
• Employee Assistance Programmes
• Social Club Services
• Gym Services

26. What do organizations need to implement
gender equality policies well?
• ‘Business case’ showing that gender diversity/equality
increases value/status/competitiveness
• Facts & figures showing that gender parity in the
workplace delivers better performance/impact
• Examples of good leadership within sector/company
• Solutions that work and are transferable
• Regulatory and voluntary compliance in line with societal
expectations of social justice
• Recognition and reward by peers of actions leading to
positive change
Source: Elizabeth Pollitzer

27. Exercise
1. Discuss evolution of modern workplace
within the context of gender issues.
2. What are the barriers to positive change in
work-life balance and how can they be
surmounted.

28. Dr Elijah Ezendu is Award-Winning Business Expert & Certified Management Consultant with expertise
in Interim Management, Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Transformation, Restructuring, Turnaround
Management, Business Development, Marketing, Project & Cost Management, Leadership, HR, CSR, e-
Business & Software Architecture. He had functioned as Founder, Initiative for Sustainable Business
Equity; Chairman of Board, Charisma Broadcast Film Academy; Group Chief Operating Officer, Idova
Group; CEO, Rubiini (UAE); Special Advisor, RTEAN; Director, MMNA Investments; Chair, Int’l Board of
GCC Business Council (UAE); Senior Partner, Shevach Consulting; Chairman (Certification & Training),
Coordinator (Board of Fellows), Lead Assessor & Governing Council Member, Institute of Management
Consultants, Nigeria; Lead Resource, Centre for Competitive Intelligence Development; Lead
Consultant/ Partner, JK Michaels; Turnaround Project Director, Consolidated Business Holdings Limited;
Technical Director, Gestalt; Chief Operating Officer, Rohan Group; Executive Director (Various Roles),
Fortuna, Gambia & Malta; Chief Advisor/ Partner, D & E; Vice Chairman of Board, Refined Shipping;
Director of Programmes & Governing Council Member, Institute of Business Development, Nigeria;
Member of TDD Committee, International Association of Software Architects, USA; Member of Strategic
Planning and Implementation Committee, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria;
Country Manager (Nigeria) & Adjunct Faculty (MBA Programme), Regent Business School, South Africa;
Adjunct Faculty (MBA Programme), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Editor-in-Chief, Cost
Management Journal; Council Member, Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria; Member, Board of
Directors (Several Organizations). He holds Doctoral Degree in Management, Master of Business
Administration and Fellow of Professional Institutes in North America, UK & Nigeria. He is Innovator of
Corporate Investment Structure Based on Financials and Intangibles, for valuation highlighting
intangible contributions of host communities and ecological environment: A model celebrated globally
as remedy for unmitigated depreciation of ecological capital and developmental deprivation of host
communities. He had served as Examiner to Professional Institutes and Universities. He had been a
member of Guild of Soundtrack Producers of Nigeria. He's an author and extensively featured speaker.

29. Thank You