The Tribune

This week’s constitutional referendum has stirred heated passions across the Bahamas regarding gender equality. The global feminist crusade, the strong religious movement, and the legal and political minds have deposited many conflicting views into the public domain. When you couple their campaigning with the growing fears and prejudices towards minorities, many viewed the gender equality referendum apprehensively and with suspicion.

Today, we focus on gender equality in the workplace, and begin to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of treating men and women equally in the corporate realm.

I listen carefully to police officers who declare that women, by virtue of their physical hindrances, can never equal men. When a male suspect is being apprehended (and it is usually men being arrested), and force is required, women simply do not ‘cut the mustard’. How, then, after the brawl and the male officer putting his life in jeopardy, can the woman stand and declare: ‘We are equal’? With few exceptions, brawn is unquestionably the leveraging argument raised by men advocating inequality.

Technology advances have today begun to close this gap, as women have proven themselves experienced marksmen, and can work taser guns and other crime-fighting devices as efficiently as men. They use their intellectual prowess or make up the ‘strength gap ‘in other ways.

Many have viewed women as unfit for key leadership roles, citing their emotional vulnerability and highly temperamental nature as preventing them from arriving at a sound judgment. The saga in US politics involving presumptive preseidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, has almost completely eliminated such thoughts. Men are often quite emotionally charged and psychologically erratic, holding grudges, ‘popping off’ when angered and spreading gossip and slander in very divisive ways.

So, what can we conclude? Are we justified in paying women less than their male counterparts? Should we deny men or women job opportunities, or career advancements, because of their gender?

There are some among us that go to scripture, deceptively making references to women being weaker vessels or exalting the husband being lord over his wife, in an attempt to promote male dominance. While this movie has sold many tickets in our country, most do not subscribe to the flawed analysis of these scriptures, and most see women as equal partners at work and beyond.

A critical review of human resource practices that disadvantage men or women in the workplace is vitally important as we progress. What is crucial to our survival and progress as a nation is the individual mindset of those who are most affected, positively or adversely, by these actions.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.