Gender Discrimination and effect on Empolyee(TM)s Motivation in Pakistan

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Gender Discrimination and effect on Empolyee’s Motivation

A Review of Theoretical and Empirical Research

INTRODUCTION

Definition
Gender discrimination, or sex discrimination, may be characterized as the unequal treatment of a person based solely on that person's sex. While females have historically laid claim to the cry of unequal treatment, modern civil rights laws banning sex discrimination have been construed to protect males as well, especially in the area of employment.

Labour Law and Constitution of Pakistan:

Labour Policy 2002

There is a need to improve the role and contribution of women in the labour force and to provide them equal opportunities for employment. The work places will be made conducive for women workers. The principle of equal pay for work of equal value has been adopted with the ratification of ILO Convention 100, to promote gender equality in terms of the pay/wage system.

CONSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK.

Definition of Discrimination.

The Constitution does not contain a definition or description of discrimination against women. However, the concept of non-discrimination is an integral part of the Constitution and is implicit in its content.

States Parties condemn discrimination against women in all its forms.

 Article 25 (2) of the Constitution states “There shall be no discrimination on the

basis of sex alone”. Article 27 of the Constitution states “No citizen shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment (in the service of Pakistan) on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth”. The Constitution thus establishes clear and specific guarantees against discrimination on the basis of sex.

Gender Discrimination in Pakistan:

The employment challenge in Pakistan is not only huge; it is also highly discriminatory as far as we are concerned with female, where half of the population is concerned. No matter how poor, deprived and unemployed Pakistani’s are, the burden of deprivation and degradation, and the inhuman conditions that Pakistani women suffer in the world of work are far worse and as has been documented by numerous studies.

Owing to the embedded system of patriarchy in Pakistan, discrimination against women in Pakistan is far worse than in most other developing countries. It begins from the time they born and continues through the unequal provision of education, healthcare, and nutrition, to the world of work in terms of providing opportunities to women to earn a living.

In employment, gender discrimination is encompassing in specific sectors, occupations and wages rates. In Pakistan, women are mostly concentrated in the low productivity parts of all three sectors:  agriculture, industry and services. Women workers are majority in the informal sector where they are either self employed or wage workers.  In the formal, organized sector, women play a very limited role, occupying less than one-fifth of total public sector employment. The situation in the private sector has improved in recent years in banking sector especially (service sector), which have seen increasing demand for women workers.

Source: Punjab Economic Report 2005

Gradually, designated occupational distributions that presume certain occupations are for men are breaking down. Pakistani women now hold more positions of leadership or prestige in management than ever before. According to Opeke (2002), more female employees are gradually moving to management and decision-making levels. Although women’s participation in the workforce has grown steadily worldwide, existing gender inequalities have increased with respect to pay and working conditions.

Source: Punjab Economic Report 2005

The obstacles for women in management are still formidable, and are growing more intractable. In many developing countries, such as Pakistan, there is only a small percentage of women in management and related decision-making positions. Women are overcoming past conceptions that they should not participate in decision-making or wield authority over others.

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Although there are numerous publications on gender discrimination and its impact on job satisfaction, there have been relatively very little empirical data on the job satisfaction of male and female bank managers and officers in general and still less on the impact of other factors like salary differential, flexible working hours, promotion on the job satisfaction of male and female bank managers and officers in Pakistan. Thus, the question one may ask is: why is the study of gender gap and its impact in job satisfaction in Pakistan significant?

First, we propose that job satisfaction and gender related research is ...

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