Gender, ethnicity, and religion are not distinctions of equality, which means everyone has the same rights, obligations, and freedoms. Therefore, women, men, transgender people, and individuals from all walks of life are impacted by inequality due to their race, ethnicity, and even religion. There has never been an equal playing field for men and women in history since there have always been constraints on what each gender can or cannot do. Many individuals had to change their stance on gender equality before they could accept the idea that both men and women should be treated fairly and equitably in society. Human rights defenders and feminists worked together to make it a reality. Despite all of the efforts, there is still gender discrimination, and regrettably, it is most widespread among those in the minority. Women of color in their professional fields confront more obstacles to ascending to leadership than men and women of other races who are not members of the minority group due to the system of prejudices surrounding them.
Women of every ethnicity have the passion and desire to achieve high leadership levels at their place of work. Therefore, they dedicate their time to acquiring the proper credentials that come in handy while recruiting for employment. Despite their efforts, it has historically been difficult for them to advance their careers into leadership positions. Since whenever they are granted the same position as their male counterparts, who are given firsthand consideration, it is regarded as a favor to them and is believed to be an act of kindness. When women of a particular racial origin are involved, the issue is made considerably worse since precedence is given to the less capable individuals. It makes the situation much more challenging to solve due to the biases involved when women of color are to be considered. Climbing the corporate ladder, women of color face a more strenuous uphill fight than white women (Dickens et al., 2019). Due to this, they frequently end up staying in the same subordinate position for an exceptionally extended period.
Women have made actual progress at their places of employment, where they now hold a range of high positions and play a massive part in both the development and implementation of policies. They have effectively steered several enterprises in the proper direction, which has resulted in considerable earnings and allowed them to compete with a variety of other companies managed by their male counterparts in the business world. Despite this, women of color tend to lag in the workforce and have not yet achieved many vital positions in their various areas (Storer et al., 2020). Although women of color have lofty goals regarding the development of their professional lives, they have a challenging time obtaining role models from within the same organizations willing to guide them towards achieving their aims. It is disheartening to observe that these women of ethnicity are compelled to fight their battles alone to further their careers and acquire access to higher-ranking positions in various industries.
Notwithstanding the policies developed to safeguard the rights of each worker, women belonging to minority groups often feel that their rights have been violated, but they have no outlet for expressing dissatisfaction with the situation. They are subjected to tremendous stress due to the violations, which in turn affects the amount of work they can produce in their place of employment (Storer et al., 2020). Some of the violations include racial discrimination and sexual harassment, prejudice based on gender is practiced in several organizations, although it is not pervasive. However, the type of discrimination that women of color encounter when attempting to advance in their careers is significantly more severe. When it comes to attaining the leadership position within their firm, they are required to suffer significant amounts of humiliation while devoting a significant amount of their time to rise to the top.
Women of color are tremendously driven to succeed in their careers and have high aspirations of moving up the corporate ladder. Pace (2021), in her article, identifies that the majority of businesses with women from minority groups holding managerial roles have surpassed the majority of businesses that are either managed by their male counterparts or even the white women. She then highlights how hard these ladies work and how dedicated they are once they have achieved such senior positions. Due to the widespread discrimination that women of color face in their environments, the most significant obstacle is figuring out how to get them into these positions in the first place.
The misconception that members of minority groups do not have a defined strategy for professional advancement is detrimental to women of ethnicity who have a distinct idea of where they would like to be and what they would like to accomplish since it perpetuates the stereotype. As a result, the transition into the professional world, where personal responsibility and career pathways are required, is more challenging for them. This setback significantly impacts women of color, who may still be motivated to progress in their careers despite the biases that have developed due to working in a field that men predominately dominate (Dickens et al., 2019). For this reason, it is necessary for women of ethnicity who are part of a minority group to have a crystal clear understanding of what they want and strive toward making that dream a reality. It is terrible that for their efforts and motivation to be recognized, they need to put in a far more tremendous amount of work than their companion women, who come from the majority.
Historically, women had more difficulty advancing their careers into leadership positions in the workplace, even when they possessed the necessary credentials. Women of color have a much steeper mountain to climb when advancing their careers in corporate America. They are favored by being granted the same position as their male coworkers, which is perceived as beneficial to them, and this favor is shown to them. There is a tremendous appetite among women of color to attain success in their professional lives. Even though, women of color tend to be underrepresented in the workforce and have not yet achieved many crucial positions.
Women from minority groups frequently have the impression that their rights have been violated, but they cannot voice their discontent since there are no channels available. To the detriment of women of ethnicity, the widespread misperception that members of minority groups do not have a defined strategy for professional progress persists. Women of a minority group need to have an explicit crystal knowledge of what they want and work toward making it happen.
References
Dickens, D. D., Womack, V. Y., & Dimes, T. (2019). Managing hypervisibility: An exploration of theory and research on identity shifting strategies in the workplace among Black women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 153-163. Web.
Pace, C. (2021). How women of color get to senior management. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Storer, A., Schneider, D., & Harknett, K. (2020). What explains racial/ethnic inequality in job quality in the service sector? American Sociological Review, 85(4), 537-572. Web.