Developing a More Gender Inclusive Workplace

Context:

According to a Catalyst study, women in India are less likely to be given credit for their work and are more likely to have their contributions ignored or dismissed. Men taking credit for women’s ideas or work at work is referred to as “bropropriation” in a recent Time magazine article.

Relevance:

GS Paper-1: Women Empowerment and related Issues.

GS Paper-2: Education and Skill Development

Mains Question

What exactly do you mean by “bropropriation”? Provide some solutions to the bropropriation problem. (150 Words)

Key Points

• The Economic Survey (2022-23) acknowledged that the true nature of women’s work in India may not have been sufficiently captured by official statistics.
  • This deficiency has an impact on the policies we create to increase women’s economic participation as well as how we view women’s economic contributions.

What is the bropropriation problem?

• The act of men taking credit for women’s ideas or work in the workplace is known as “bropropriation,” and it is a widespread phenomenon in many nations, including India.
  • Many senior female executives concur that they frequently encounter bropropriation.
• Companies can take a number of actions to encourage fairness, equality, and collaboration in the workplace in order to stop bropropriation at senior levels.Companies putting policies into place must consider minimising this aspect for better inclusivity as gender diversity and inclusion at work receive more attention.

What is essential?

• Raising awareness of the problem among staff members: Training sessions or workshops on the subject should be provided so that staff members can recognise and comprehend the behaviours that lead to bropropriation.
• Promote an inclusive and collaborative culture: Senior leaders of organisations can set an example for these behaviours by blatantly thanking and acknowledging the contributions of others.
  • This can be done by receiving formal rewards or public acclaim.
  • Senior leaders can inspire others to act inclusively and collaboratively by setting an example for them.
• Encourage gender diversity in the executive suite: o Having more women in senior leadership roles can aid in lowering the risk of bropropriation.
  • It is more likely that women in positions of power will be treated equally and that their contributions will be valued.
• Create clear channels for communication: o A culture that values discussion and feedback can encourage open and honest communication among coworkers.
• Regular team meetings, performance evaluations, and one-on-one conversations can all help with this.
• Put accountability measures in place: o You can do this by establishing a formal grievance procedure or by using anonymous reporting systems.
  • Employees should develop the self-assurance to report instances of appropriation without worrying about facing consequences.
  • Businesses should also be ready to act quickly when such incidents are reported to ensure that the behaviour is curtailed and that the impacted employee is given the proper recognition.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

• The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was first released in April 2017 by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
  • Goal: o To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ for urban areas only in the short time period of three months (i.e., Worker Population Ratio, Labor Force Participation Rate, and Unemployment Rate). (CWS).
    • To annually estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both rural and urban areas using “Usual Status” (ps+ss) and CWS.
  • Terminology:
    • Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The LFPR is the proportion of the population that is employed, actively looking for work, or otherwise available for employment.
    • Unemployment Rate (UR): The UR is the proportion of unemployed people to the total labour force.
    • Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The WPR is the proportion of the population that is employed.
    • Activity Status- Usual Status: A person’s activity status is assessed in light of the pursuits they made during the designated reference period.
• It is referred to as the person’s usual activity status when the activity status is established using the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the survey date.
  • Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS): The person’s current weekly status (CWS) is based on the activity status determined over the reference period of the last seven days prior to the date of the survey.
• Principal activity status: A person’s typical principal activity status was defined as the one on which they spent a significant amount of time (major time criterion) during the 365 days prior to the survey date.
  • Subsidiary economic activity status: The activity status in which a person performs some economic activity for 30 days or more during the reference period of 365 days preceding the date of the survey, in addition to his or her usual principal status, was considered the person’s subsidiary economic status.

The way forward

• The best course of action is to broaden the definition of work, which will increase the number of women workers — almost the entire adult female population of India — and lessen the stigma associated with India’s low female labour participation rates.
• By valorizing women’s diverse activities, we may treat their vulnerabilities as strengths and fail to acknowledge the lack of access to income-generating activities for women.
• It also aligns with feminist advocacy that has sought recognition of women’s unpaid work.

Conclusion

To achieve inclusive economic growth and provide opportunities for decent working conditions for all employees in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals 8, employers must value and respect the contributions of all employees, regardless of gender.