The relation between empowerment and gender in the banking sector

Abstract

These last few decades have seen an increase of women in the world of work. Women have progressed steadily in education, thus acquiring good jobs and moving up the levels of organisational hierarchies. However, the top ranking jobs still remain widely dominated by men. This study investigates gender disparity by conducting a qualitative research in a local financial institution. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out in order to shed light on the main encumbrances behind this phenomenon. This study inspects the consequences derived from stereotypes, the responsibilities and problems related to dual work, the reasons for being surpassed in promotion, women who have actually managed in shattering the glass ceiling, sex segregation and finally women's self-esteem in relation to work. The participants believed that their motherly role could never be reversed on to the father. Stereotypes are so deeply ingrained that sex segregation seemed to be invisible to all the participants. All the interviewees argued that holding a job served to maintain their self-esteem, despite the injustices that some claimed to have suffered. A number of recommendations were proposed in order to try to alleviate the subtle sexism at the place of work. These include the carrying out of gender discrimination awareness campaigns both through education and media, and the appointment of an existing employee to monitor the level of subtle sexism at the place of work.