Problem Definition
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” My thesis problem addresses the lack of female representation in the workplace and the challenges graduating women face trying to break into male-dominated workforces.
Visualizing the Problem
Women are severely underrepresented in the workforce and this leads to a variety of problems. Women are out of jobs, they are not given opportunities to grow in their fields, they are underpaid compared to their male counterparts, and they are underestimated. With a lack of women in the workplace, women often feel like they are not good enough for a job, that their skillsets are inadequate, and they are valued as less. Corporate America is male-dominated, and we live in a patriarchal society where women are consciously and unconsciously viewed as less-than. There is a deep rooted reason as to why women are not being hired, and I want to explore that in my thesis.
Citations
“Key Findings from the Women in the Workplace 2018 Report.” Lean In, https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace.
Lean In is an organization dedicated to helping women in the workplace through research, groups, and public policy. This report discusses how women are still struggling to break into corporate America. The study discusses how “corporate America has made almost no progress in improving women’s representation. From the outset, fewer women than men are hired at the entry level. And at every subsequent step, the representation of women further declines. Women of color are the most underrepresented group of all—behind white men, men of color, and white women.” This is an excellent source showing statistically that women are not being hired, especially WOC. This also discusses how women are more likely to face challenges with hiring, promotions, harassment, and discrimination at work.
“The Top Five Issues for Working Women Around the World.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/thomson-reuters-davos/the-top-five-issues-for-working-women-around-the-world/762/.
This articles highlights some key insights from a Thomson Reuters Foundation poll focused on women’s experience in the workplace. The findings state that work-life balance, equal pay, harassment, career opportunities, and children & career are the top concerns women face. This article and study focuses more on women’s experience globally which can lead to some interesting insights during my thesis exploration.
Zaretsky, Janet. “How To Support Women In The Workplace.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 19 Feb. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/19/how-to-support-women-in-the-workplace/#5a0ae8ea746e.
This Forbes article discusses how one can support women in the workplace and also shares some key facts about the current workforce in America. They discuss how “Less than 5% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women. While women enter the workforce on the same footing as men, the further up the corporate ladder you go, the fewer women you find.” They also discuss how that “if changes in the wage gap continue at the same rate, it will take until 2059 for women to earn the same as men.” Due to these kinds of statistics, women often feel like they do not belong in leadership positions and they underestimate themselves. They label themselves with negative language and often describe familial responsibilities as a reason they do not belong or deserve leadership positions.