The study as reported by PTI, presents insights on the gender bias experiences of Indian women and men working for 'Western engineering companies' in India. It suggested that both genders in the country experience high levels of bias in different forms. "Women are more likely to experience gender bias, while men face bias based on where they come from and their language spoken," said the report by The Society of Women Engineers in partnership with the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
The nationwide survey was conducted online beginning Fall 2017 among a cross-section of 693 engineers across a variety of disciplines, engineering sectors, and employment levels. Here's what else the study titled 'Walking the Tightrope' suggests-
• 44% of men and 30% of women engineers said they faced bias due to the state or region they are from
• 76% of engineers reported that they have to prove themselves over and over to get the same level of respect as their colleagues
• 45% of women reported that they have to compete with their female colleagues to get the one "woman's spot" available
• 11% of women engineers and 6% of men engineers reported unwanted romantic or sexual attention or touching in the workplace
• Despite the high level of bias that men tended to report, some significant gender differences emerged where women experienced higher levels of bias than men
• 45% of women but only 28% of men reported that it was perceived as inappropriate when women argued at work, even when it was work-related
• A higher percentage of women (45%) than men (30%) reported feeling pressured to play submissive roles at work
• 40% of men and women reported that women should work less after having children
• While 27% of men and women reported that men should work more after having children
• In contrast, sometimes men reported more bias than women, adding that out of engineers without kids, a higher percentage of men (50%) than women (39%) reported that they are perceived as having "no life" so they end up working overtime
• 54% of men but only 44% of women reported bias in hiring
Expert's take-
"The report underlines the bias problems that India's engineering workplace experiences. This is the tipping point. It is a call to action for organisations to address these pressing issues," said Neeti Sanan, faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur, and consultant to the SWE study.
"We need to start thinking of women engineers as an integral part of organisations and treat them the way their male counterparts are treated," said Joan C Williams, founding director, Center for WorkLife Law at University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Education Loan Information:
Calculate Education Loan EMI