21 Nov Addressing Workplace Gender Disparity And Mental Health

Gender Disparity And Mental Health

More than a hundred years ago, the International Labour Organization first established standards for women at the workplace, focusing on women’s rights and maternity protection. A century later, media informs us of a paradigm shift pointing at women who appear as an interruption in crowds heavily populated by cisgender heterosexual men. However, on a closer look, these shining images blur into glaring statistics of gender disparity in personal and professional spheres, that translate into mental health issues affecting women and other people in the marginalized subsets.

In 2021, India slipped 28 positions on the Global Gender Gap Report released by World Economic Forum, ranking 140^th out of 156 countries and becoming the third-worst performer in South Asia. The decline also took place on account of the economic participation and opportunity subindex and India widened the gender gap in this area alone by 3%. Further, the report states that the estimated earned income of women in India is only one-fifth of men’s, which puts the country among the bottom 10 globally. The imbalance in the systemic structures not only sets women and other genders back economically as compared to men, it also leaves them vulnerable to many issues such as discrimination and safety at work. Consequently, according to Indian Psychiatry Journal, common psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, as well as somatic complaints, burnout, and their lifetime risks predominate 2-3 times more in women. Stressors at the workplace could further increase the likelihood of experiencing these issues.

In the sociocultural context of India, there are several factors contributing to the discrimination and harassment faced by women and queer people in workplaces. The idea of a woman itself cannot be anchored in the gender binary. There are many people and communities that are often not part of this discussion- women with disabilities, women marginalized by caste, LGBTQIA+ individuals who identify as women, women from marginalized religions, and more. Lack of feminist discourse in policies and practices of Indian workplaces also worsens their experiences and may affect their mental health adversely.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, while evaluating systemic discrimination in Army, noted in March 2021 that “the structures of our society have been created by males and are for males.” Women and LGBTQIA+ persons in our country face sexism right from childhood that unfortunately continues in workplaces through colleagues, bosses, and organizational culture and policies. Since our systems lean heavily in favor of heteronormativity and masculinity, the cultural burden of gender roles crashes onto women in the form of assuming multiple responsibilities. Consequently, women and queer persons are often overlooked for promotional opportunities and leadership positions. Whenever they are provided with such opportunities, they are used as a token for representation within the organization. Not getting a job one is qualified for because the person hiring might instinctively believe that one is less capable of handling stressful situations or putting in long hours, directly attacks the self-esteem of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals and creates alienation.

A typical workday for a woman and queer person is punctuated with microaggressions that test one’s resilience and eventually take a toll on mental health. Sexist remarks on one’s appearance, intruding questions about one’s marital status, family situations, “mansplaining”, patronizing, are some everyday stressors that women and non-binary individuals put up with. The constant fear of lagging behind male colleagues due to availing of maternity leave period and being seen as a liability to the workforce after childbirth or marriage further accentuates the agonizing experience. According to the Monster Salary Index in 2019, around 46% of women believe that there is a perception that they will quit after maternity leave. The realization of erosion of their dignity, basic rights, and lack of a nurturing work environment can contribute to outcomes of poor mental health. Issues of sexual harassment at the workplace often tend to be treated insensitively despite thorough guidelines from The Supreme Court which creates a lack of sense of security amongst women and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Furthermore, a gender bias ensures that the symptoms of mental illnesses are taken less seriously for women than they are for men. The impact of mental health problems also shows gender disparity. For example, whereas women are required to be the primary caregivers if their husbands were experiencing psychological distress, it is they who still need to carry on with the role of caregiver for their family despite facing similar problems. Workplaces tend to attribute this “family stress” by accusing women of being overly emotional and unable to cope with the pressures of the job. Eventually, it contributes to declining productivity and increased absenteeism in order to recuperate, which adds to the propagation of stereotypical notions that work against them.

Experiencing these challenges can be overwhelming at times. Our highly trained AtEase experts are to support you through your mental health journey.