My personal experience in the work environment has
been marked with working with females extensively. I note this as my early
upbringing was mixed proportionately with males and females of varying ages but
some common factors remained of my observations of that time in terms of work
ethic and the interaction dynamic. The all-female environment in some cases, to
the female dominant environments were strangely different from a mixed
environment. Quite recently, that experience began to change when a few males
were added to the team. My observations prior, were of females complaining
about physical work that required climbing or lifting which were often times
left undone with blatant refusal to undertake it or they played upon the
sympathy of some unsuspecting male - whose responsibility did not lie in that
sphere - to complete the task for them. Do note that during the hiring process,
the question was asked if candidates can do moderate lifting.
With the introduction of males into the work
environment, the women quickly palmed off these tasks to them and complained
about the males otherwise, including belittling them. Are men only good for
manual work? Don’t they get tired like everyone else? Will we continue to
demand more and more of them and unreasonably so? It seems as though men should
only practice chivalry towards women offering to do heavy lifting, take over
when women are tired and much more. How willing are women to do the same?
Doesn’t teamwork make the dream work regardless of gender?
Let’s remove gender from the equation; aren’t we all
human beings? Can we look at male co-workers and not see their gender that
influences the perception that they should be doing specific tasks? If the
environment was entirely female, wouldn’t the work have to be completed anyway?
When will men be treated more equitably?
That being said, the dynamic between male coworkers
and myself differed compared to that of the average female employee and it
worked well for the overall work ethic. People may be of the perception that I
overthink but I look at it this way: I was hired to do a job that I said I can
do during the interview, so I exercise integrity and do it. Yes, I do consider
that there will be the occasion that one requires help in doing so, for those
of you wondering, it is okay to ask for help but, men should not be abused as a
result. Some work long hours, some work very hard and some even take initiative
to help women without being asked. Given all these considerations, nothing is
wrong with refusing a man’s help in this instance. Exercise consideration in
interacting with each other regardless of the situation and remove the gendered
lenses and replace it with the human lenses.
From personal experiences and observations, work
environments that have a more balanced number of males and females facilitates
higher productivity, less gender bias, the workload is better shared, the ratio
and perspective appear more balanced as well as the opportunity for creative
collaborations. I am in no way discounting that challenges don’t exist in mixed
environments but more often than not, those are fueled by individuals’
inability to exercise responsibility, accountability and self-discipline. Male
only and female only workspaces tend to have challenges of its own but that is
a topic for another time. Is society guilty of underappreciating men’s efforts
in the workplace? Or is it that society has already deemed men in the workplace
to be nothing more than physical labour?
Some may even say that men have dominated the world of
work and that women have not made it into certain positions and so on; are even
their efforts downplayed then? World Day of the Boy Child was commemorated on
the 16th of May, and coming up on the 19th of November is
International Men’s Day where we see highlighted the challenges faced by both
boys and men. Through the evaluation of men’s value in this context, it’s very
clear of the increasing disparity boys who turn into men face in this world.
This is by no means a generalization but an
observation. My local context will differ significantly from the international
context and I encourage readers to view it in that cultural and geographical
perspective. Conversely, for those seeking to debate; my early schooling and
sport involvement were in areas considered “male dominated”. I had the support
of my teachers and peers who were all or mostly males as well as a single
father. There was no competition as we all taught and supported each other.
While I recognize the gender disparity discussions that saturate our world, how
we present ourselves and interact with others play a large role in perception
and behavior. I can also attribute my view to the non-gendered context in terms
of roles in my upbringing. As a result of my intentionality, introspection,
deliberations and empathy, I shaped my experience to be a positive one for
myself and those I interact with. Consider this view when next you enter the
workspace and shape a better interaction.
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