Gender Discrimination and Working Women: Retrospective Study

 

Hina Kausar1*, Dhekale D.N.2, Mohammed Ubaid-Ur- Rahaman3

1Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College, Jalgaon Kh.(MS)

2Associate Professor, Community Medicine, Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College, Jalgaon Kh.(MS)

3Diviosional Medical Officer, Central Railway Hospital, Bhusawal.(MS)

 

 

ABSTRACT:

Objective: To know the status of gender discrimination at work place against employed women, if any. Materials and method: one hundred and three women were taken as sample who complained of gender discrimination. Study Variables: Nutrition, less salary for same job, more workload than male colleagues, scolding etc. Statistical analysis: were expressed in simple terms of proportion Findings: discrimination was more (31%) for nutrition, (26.21%) each for less salary for same work and more workload than male colleagues (16.5%) reported that they have perceived at work place as gender discrimination. Conclusion and recommendations: Women were certainly facing discrimination at workplace. This needs sensitization of all categories of workers including employers for paying due respect to their female colleagues etc. Irrespective of caste, religion, economic status, region etc. fees free education of all women, must be made compulsory, because education of the women is a tested solution for the treatment of all ills of society. Hence, no stone left unturned to achieve this noble task of educating the women.

 

KEYWORDS: Nutrition, Salary, work load, Education

 

INTRODUCTION:

Discrimination against women is a global phenomenon but it varies in intensity in different parts of the world. It extends through the entire life cycle, ranging from selective abortion of females, discrimination in quality of health care for infant and children, access to education and salary differentials based on gender(1). Gender discrimination affects health of women and often is an underlying or aggravating factor in the frequency and outcome of some specific health problems.(2) By keeping in mind the above facts and as per recommendations of the World Health Organization study group in 1957, that in order to get a comprehensive picture of a disease, more and more such studies have to be carried out. Garg Narenra K. and Sharma A.B.(3), the authors have under taken this study with the objective to know the status of gender discrimination at work place against employed women. 

 

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

The present retrospective study is an institutional based study. This study was conducted in Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar (A.P.) from june 2010 to may 2011 for a total period of one year. The data was collected in pre drawn and pretested proforma. A list of all working women (Those who were in paid employment) in Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences was obtained from administrative department. There were 318 working women out of which 18 women did not cooperated/responded in the study, hence they were excluded from the study.

 

Thus total sample size was 300. There were one hundred and three women who complained of gender discrimination hence taken as effective sample.

 

Statistical data was expressed in simple terms of proportions. Variables used were –

-         Less salary for same work

-         More work load than male colleagues

-         Scolding by male colleagues

-         Nutrition purposes

 

OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION:

On analysis of the collected data it was found that out of 103 women, 32(31%) of women had gender difference for food and calorie consumption at home, women are the least priority in the family, last to eat. 27 (26.21%) women each complained for less salary for the same work and more work load than male colleagues ((Table-I), were the other ways of gender discrimination at workplace. Table further reveals that 17 (16.5 %) of women had frequent scolding at their work place.

 

Table-I: Distribution of study subjects as per gender discrimination

Gender discrimination

Frequency n= 103

Percent

For Nutrition

32

31

Less salary for same work

27

26.21

More work load than male colleagues

27

26.21

Scolding

17

16.5

Total

103

100

 

Carr L et al (4) Conducted a study in randomly selected medical school in United States to examine the prevalence of gender based discrimination and sexual harassment among faculty members. They found female faculty were 2.5 times more likely than male faculty to perceive gender based discrimination in the academic environment.

 

Most common social problem was Gender discrimination faced by103 (34.4%) of women worker in this study. Women mostly face gender discrimination since her childhood. Lack of expected response, low importance in decision-making, less recognition of their work by family and society may be due to gender discrimination, Singh M. et al (5)

 

CONCLUSION:

The above observations and discussion indicate that even the present education almost fails in bringing about a positive change in the attitude of community towards women. So a new curriculum with objective of mindset about gender perspective must be changed will have to be evolved for the school going children. As children are future parents and in those formative years, children are quick to intimate what they have been taught and to absorbed new ideas and values and took to their homes and make them part of their own way of life, Bansal A.K. et al(6).

Besides this fees free girl education (have knowledge – be prosperous) from primary to highest level including technical, medical education etc. without discrimination on account of caste, religion, economic and social status etc. Rathi H.B.et al (7) no amount is high enough to achieve this noble task of the progress of girls. Educating women is a tested solution for the treatment of all social ills, hence no stone left unturned to achieve this noble task of educating the women Rathi H.B. et al (8) and Marmot G Michael. (9)

 

REFERENCES:

1.       Nancy R, Mudrick, Robert J Weber. Occupational Health Problems of special working population (Women Workers) in Public health & Preventive Medicine, Robert B Wallace, 14th edition, 1998 Mc Graw - Hill, Medical Publishing Division, New York. P 693-696.

2.       Shaoxian Wang, Lin An, Susan D Cochran. Intervention for special population (Women) in Oxford text book of public health, 4th edition, 2006,Oxford Medical Publications, New York World Bank P 1587- 1601.

3.       Garg Narendra K and Sharma A.B. : Epidemiological profile of patients attending a tertiary care hospital, Muktsar, Punjab (India); Research J Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics:3 (6) November-December;2011:311-317

4.       Carr PL, Ash AS, Fridman RH, Szalacha L, Barneu RC, Moskowitz MM, Faculty perceptions of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in academic medicine. An Int Med 2000; 132(11):889-96.

5.       Singh M, Singh G.A Study on Family and Psychosocial Health of Middle aged Working Women of Varanasi City. The Internet Journal Third World Medicine2006; 3(2): 12-19.

6.       Bansal A.K., Agarwal Ashok K. and Govila A.K.; Status of girl child amongst tribes and non tribes in the unreached rural India: J.of Ravi Shankar University 'Vol.11-12, No. B (Science)  1998-99: pp-31-36

7.       Rathi H.B., Viswanadham K.K. and John Masih : Status of girl child in Urban slums; Research J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics ;4(4):2012:218-220

8.       Rathi H.B., Viswanadham K.K. and John Masih : An analytical study of social determents of health; Research J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics; 4(5):2012:267-271

9.       Sir Michael G Marmot : Girl's education must to tackle malnutrition, says experts: Hindustan Times, New Delhi, February, 28, 2012.

 

Received on 07.03.2013

Modified on 24.05.2013

Accepted on 12.06.2013

© A&V Publication all right reserved

Research J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics. 5(4): July–August 2013, 247-248