Gender Gap in Employment

Running note: GENDER GAP IN EMPLOYMENT
GENDER GAP IN EMPLOYMENT
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1GENDER INEQUALITY IN EMPLOYEMENT
Topic: "Should Australian companies give priority to female job applicants to rectify gender
imbalance?"
Essay part 1
One of the major barrier to the realization of rights and access to opportunities in today’s
era is gender inequality (Sen & Mukherjee, 2014). The gender inequality refers to the unequal
distribution of resources and opportunity unequally between the two prominent genders of the
society. There are certainly sociological explanations of the reasons that have made possible for
gender inequality to survive even today (Barrett, 2014). However, the question arises here is if it
is ethical to differentiate between two genders in any aspects of the society. In the similar
discourse, the paper aims to discuss if Australian companies needs to give priority to female job
applicants in order to rectify gender imbalance. The paper will discuss the topic using the ethical
theories that would help in achieving an appropriate conclusion in regard to female job
applicants.
The gender equality in the corporate world and the employment sector is gradually
improving (Noe et al., 2017). However, there are certain jobs that are far from worse than many
others. In order to understand if companies should give priority to the female recruitment for the
purpose of eliminating gender inequality, it is important to understand the importance of it. In the
past few years, many companies have confirmed that they focused on gender diversity and
therefore make the focus on recruiting females more than males. According to Gacka (2017)
there have been incorrect assumptions have been made that shows gender equality has been
achieved despite the fact that there are disturbing and comprehensive evidences that proves
something wrong. Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jankins has found that it is

2GENDER INEQUALITY IN EMPLOYEMENT
the inappropriate data that have endorsed gender inequality without evidences. According to her
research, there are three key areas that acutely lack equality which demands more progress. The
three key areas involve economic security, leadership roles and violence against women. There is
no active work being done however only a sense in the broader community that gender
inequality is getting being reduced (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2017).
According to Brown et al. (2016), this specific pattern of the society is leading to both
expected and unexpected consequences. When female are the victim of inequality in recruitment,
they fail to achieve the position as per their capabilities. This is only making the potential talent
lack behind in the employment sectors. Females are assigned to specific role and not given the
leadership role that they can master even when they are eligible for it. It leads to a greater section
of the society lack behind, gradually leading them towards poverty. It will not help female
gender achieve the equal position and sustain the other gender inequality associated social issues
such violence against women, patriarchy dominance and global feminization of poverty.
According to the philosophy of utilitarianism, an action can be called an ethical action or
right action when leads to happiness of the greatest number of people. It is a ethical philosophy
that determines the rightness or wrongness of an action by its consequences (Mill, 2016). Any
action leading to the benefit and happiness of greater number of people, it is an action.
Therefore, when the question is raised on prioritizing female recruitment in order to reduce
gender imbalance, it can be stated that organizations should prioritize the female recruitment to
eliminate gender imbalance. Utilitarianism finds an action right or wrong on the basis of the
consequences (Hudelson, 2015). Therefore when organization gives priority to female job
applicants, they are helping in developing a socially inclusive and gender diversity environment.
When female job applicants are given priority they are given the opportunity of balancing the

3GENDER INEQUALITY IN EMPLOYEMENT
gender imbalance. It is not something that is done in favor of them as it is already their
fundamental right which has been suppressed under the years of patriarchal practices. The
inequality between the genders is the result of many years which is ought to take time for
reconstructing the gender balance. It is evident and desirable to rectify the gender imbalance and
it can be done when females are given priority in the areas that have held them back for long
time. Since the result obtained from giving priority to female job applicants is happiness of the
greatest number of people in the society, it is an ethical and right action which should be done.
According to the philosophy of Kant, most things that are considered to be good are not
always good; they can always be used for evil purposes. Things such as intelligence, wealth or
education are certainly powerful tools which has the potential of bringing change in the society
(Bowie, 2018). However, it is not good in itself, the only thing that is good in itself is the good
will. It is a kind of drive towards doing something that is right. For Kant, an individual should
act in a way that is right however not for the consequences that it will provide. Considering the
matter of prioritizing the female candidates in the workplaces from the Kantian lens, female job
candidates should be given priority. Here the intension is to provide females with greater
opportunity asthere are a large gap existing between genders in the economic and employment
sector. The key towards closing the gender gap would be to give more leadership roles to women
(Wood, 2017). Even with all the improvement in the policies and laws in regard to gender
equality, Australia still remains one of the countries with substantial amount of gender gap.
Therefore in order to reduce initially followed by elimination of the gender gap it is important
women are given priority. As research have shown that people are likely to hire people who are
more like them, it is certain that when women are given the leadership roles, they pay the women
employee more than the male CEOs. Therefore, organizations should give priority to female job