Importance of Gender Sensitization in Workplaces

Written by: Tanisha Johari

Before starting off with what pertains to gender sensitivity, let’s look at the difference between sex and gender. Although both terms are closely related and used as synonyms, they are actually different from each other.

According to WHO sex refers to biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. In simpler terms, it states the anatomy an individual is born with.

Whereas gender according to WHO refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

A major difference between sex and gender is that sex is biologically determined, whereas an individual chooses the gender they wish to identify as. Gender is not a binary concept but a spectrum.

Now that sex and gender have been distinguished, let’s look at what is gender sensitization.

Gender sensitization is a concept of gender sensitivity, where there is recognition of gender roles, identification of privilege and discrimination within genders, and most importantly creation of gender awareness.

Importance of Gender sensitization in the workplace

Gender sensitization is important because representation is important. Representation of a person and community not only advocates equality but also adds a sense of inclusion to the previously marginalized community. For a healthy performance-oriented culture, organizations need a right mix of talent which is not bound by gender. In a world where accountability has become important now more than ever, organizations only have today to make the changes that count, as tomorrow they won’t be able to hide under the guise of ignorance.

Every member of an organization seeks to learn and grow in their place of work, and an insensitive workplace not only hampers that but also becomes a hostile workplace. Gender sensitization is extremely important as it helps employees feel valued and cared for within the organization. Lastly, for the betterment of society, organizations have an ethical responsibility to shape the current structures by breaking the previous norms.

Organizations that do not focus on gender sensitization have cultures where Inequality and discrimination have become normal. The normalization of this kind of culture leads to higher turnover, higher rate of absenteeism etc. Such a policy also propagates the existence of a superior gender.

The concept of gender sensitivity is a way to reduce the barriers caused due to discrimination and gender bias. Creating the right kind of gender-sensitive environment leads to mutual respect regardless of their gender.

Implementation of Gender Sensitivity in the workplace

Representation is at the heart of gender sensitivity. A workplace which truly believes in encouraging talent will promote inclusion and mutual respect irrespective of gender. The workplace can be a consulting firm or an NGO or even an IT company, regardless of the industry gender sensitivity plays a crucial part in it. Gender sensitivity remains the need of the hour.

 

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Change is always met with resistance, for any organization bringing about gender inclusiveness will always be a herculean task. However, organizations will have to keep making a never-ending effort towards achieving an organization-wide gender-sensitive task force.

There is no formal handbook for creating a gender-sensitive task force; the organizations can use the following to help them implement sensitization.

How to create a gender-sensitive workplace:

1. Gender-sensitive policy and processes

Prior to implementing anything, organizations need to assess where they actually stand with regard to gender sensitivity. Policies and procedures need to be extended to all members regardless of their gender. Minor changes can be made in the form of introducing prepositions in order to acknowledge and understand different genders existing in the workplace.

Ungender helps organizations create customized policies and procedures taking into account all aspects of the workplace, Bangalore.

2. Training and awareness workshops

Gender sensitization training is a great way to address gender-related issues. Training help inform and guide employees on appropriate ways of addressing and interacting with colleagues, clients and partners [4]. It helps employees understand their lag or rather lack of understanding in regards to gender-related matters.
Ungender creates awareness programs which include quizzes, tests and assessments to understand the perception employees have. The aim of these workshops is to create a gender-sensitive environment.

3. Employee fit recruitment

Having a diverse workforce helps in creating a culture of sensitivity and inclusion. Organizations should become an ‘equal opportunity employer’, where jobs are available to all communities.
Apart from that, induction training modules need to be created in such a way that clarifies the importance of gender sensitivity and its importance within the organization.

4. Facilities and Infrastructure

Installing facilities which are not just bound to Cisgenders makes the workplace a safe place for the members. This also allows the members of the organization to make themselves aware of the existence of genders beyond what had been taught to us over the years.

👉Termination of contract after disclosing sexual orientation,
👉Denying promotion,
👉Absence of workplace policies to address discrimination,
👉Absence of benefit sharing due to outdated definition of family, gender specific washrooms, etc.

— Ungender (@UngenderTalks) July 22, 2021

5. Emphasis by top management

Top management needs to be actively involved in the development and implementation of sensitization projects and policies. Delegation of such projects should be discouraged as only a hands-on approach would allow the proper implementation of sensitization across the organization.

Conclusion

Acceptance plays a huge part in a person’s life, and when an organization accepts a person for who they are, that decision of theirs doesn’t go unrewarded. The confidence that one gains from inclusion and acceptance often results in a highly motivated team member which helps an organization to translate its vision into reality.

About the author: Tanisha is a human resource professional working in Mumbai.

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. Our team specializes in advising workplaces on workplace diversity and inclusion. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to understand how we can partner with your organization to build a more inclusive workplace.