Women in the Workplace: Issues and Challenges

职场女性面临的问题和挑战

By Krishna Reddy

文/克里希纳·雷迪

An interesting survey among the top corporate giants around the world confirms that women in the workplace have proved their stupendous presence in almost every industry and in huge numbers. They are strong, smart, technically competent and emotionally valiant in comparison to their male counterparts. As such they are rightly called as the new age corporate women. But despite achieving such huge laurels, women still face many obstacles in their workplace.

一项针对全球顶级企业巨 头的有趣调查证实，几乎各个行业的职场女性都有突出表现，而且人数众多。与男性同行相比，她们坚强、聪 明、工作能力超强、待人处事果敢。因此，称她们为“新时代的企业女性”恰如其分。但是，尽管获得了这样巨大的荣誉，女性在职场中仍然面临许多阻碍。

Gender bias and sexual harassment are not just what we are talking about but there are few more issues that are big hurdles for women to grow high up in the corporate scene.

我们所讨论的不仅仅是性别歧视和性骚扰，在职场晋升中，女性还会遇到另外一些巨大的阻碍。

Men versus women issues

男女对比问题

Men and women are always two sides of the same coin. Each one of them has their unique charisma and each one thinks and handles the situation differently. But it is still a shame that irrespective of being equally talented there is always discrimination in the eyes of the beholder. In corporate environments, where people of both genders participate in all activities with equal vigor and enthusiasm such vague differentiation is the biggest challenge for a woman.

一直以来，男人和女人就是一枚硬币的两个面。他们各自拥有独特的魅力，有不同的想法，处理问题的方式也有差异。但令人遗憾的是，不管男女是否拥有同样的才能，在旁人眼中总是有区别的。在企业环境中，男女都以同样的精力和热情参与所有的活动，这种模糊的区别对待就是女性面临的最大挑战。

One must understand that a working woman loves your concern but not your sympathy. She wishes to be recognized with her talent and not her gender.

人们必须明白，一位职场女性需要的是关心，而非同情。 她渴望人们认可她的才华，而不是她的性别。

 

Gender bias

性别歧视

Gender bias is another challenge that many women experience at their workplace. Though we can say that corporate offices are bridging the gender gap slowly, private institutions andgovernment offices are still way far be- hind. Jobs that require frequent travel, physical exertion etc. are still open for men only as they are considered more eligible than women. Many companies while hiring women employees ask them openly about their marriage and further family planning as they cannot afford the maternity leaves and otherflexibility perks.

性别歧视是许多女性在职场遭遇的另一挑战。虽说可以看到，企业正在慢慢缩小性别差距，但私人机构和政府部门做得还远远不够。那些需要经常出差、耗费体力的工作仍然只对男性开放，因为人们认为男性比女性更符合要求。许多公司在雇用女性员工时，会公开询问她们的婚姻状况和未来的生育计划，因为公司负担不起产假和其他弹性津贴。

One must understand that women are blessed with the opportunity to bring another soul into this world and this factor must not be a hindrance for their growth and progress.

人们必须明白，女性享有将另一个生命带到这个世界的权利，这一因素不应该成为她们成长和进步的阻碍。

Sexual harassment

性骚扰

One of the most shameful and heart-wrenching challenges that women face in the working environment is the kinds of sexual abuse she is exposed to. Mostly women fall prey to cunning men who lure them on the pretext of love and sexually harass them. Many men have the notion that working women are compromising in nature which is the foundation for such vicious deeds.

女性在职场中所面临的最可耻、最痛心的挑战，是她们所遭受的各种性侵犯。很多时 候，性会沦为狡猾男性的猎物，这些男性以爱为借口引诱她们，并对她们实施性骚扰。许多男性认为，职场女性在本质上是妥协的，正是这一想法滋生了这种恶劣的行径。

Women who stand up for their self-respect do not fail to voice out their difficulties but naive and fretful women stillneed to be fed with courage and must betaught to fight back against these venge- ful men and show them their place.

敢于挺身维护自我尊严的女性会说出自己的困难，但轻信他人的苦闷女性仍然需要有人给她们打气，必须有人教她们反击那些记仇的男性，并向他们表明自己的立场。

Lack of role models

缺少榜样

Women have time and again proved their capabilities in the work front but still, the top cream layer is mostly occupied by men. The challenge here is female leaders are many but role models are few. When women look up to men for guidance and mentorship they feel they are disconnected and disoriented as there is a great difference in their objectivity and style of communication.

女性一次又一次证明了她们的工作能力，但高层岗位主要还是由男性占领。这里所说的挑战是，虽然女性领导者众多，但是榜样很少。当女性寻求男性的指导时，她们会觉得格格不入、找不到方向，因为男女的客观性和沟通方式大相径庭。

But this challenge is slowly minimizing as more and more women are entering as managers, politicians, presidents, CEO’s and in the next few years to come, there will be more leaders who will turn role models for the generations to follow.

然而，随着越来越多的女性迈入经理、政治家、总裁和首席执行官的行列，这一难题正慢慢得到解决。未来几年，将会有更多的女性领导者为后人树立榜样。

Restroom gossips

厕所八卦

An office without gossipmongers is like a cake without icing. Tea breaks, lunchtime, restroom meetings are the venue and time when gossips are created and spread across. When a woman reaches a respectable position in her work there is always plenty of speculation about her journey to that position. Some comment on her ability while some comment about her friendly attitude.

办公室没有八卦人士，犹如蛋糕没有糖衣。茶歇、午餐、 厕所相遇都是传播流言蜚语的好时机。当一位女性在工作中 升至体面的职位时，人们总会对她的升职过程有诸多猜疑。有人议论她的能力,，还有人议论她友善的态度。

All you will need to do is not to reciprocate any hard feelings. Women should know to face and win over this emotional challenge in her stride. In a world where good and bad co-exists, women must grow their emotional quotient and let their work speak for them instead of engaging in verbal battles.

你要做的就是不以任何负面情绪去回应。女性应该知道如何从容面对并战胜这种情感上的挑战。在善恶并存的世界里，女性必须提高情商，让工作为自己代言，而不是卷入口舌之争。