The Woman at Work

An observation of career trends in the 21st Century shows that even though careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) appear to offer higher earnings than a career in marketing or accounting typically would, you find increasingly fewer women in STEM fields; with a minute number choosing STEM in the first place, and an even higher number dropping out to take up careers in less-specified areas.

Without a doubt, general workplace practices preclude certain categories of people from adopting certain careers, and one too-often finds that, male-dominated careers like firefighting, policing, science and tech outfits, provide what is tantamount to  a hostile working environment for women; forcing them to choose between a career and a family.

While this is not stated outright, an examination of workplace policies that leave no room for maternity leaves, necessary child-care accommodations, possibility of remote working for people who are, for some reason, indisposed to making a physical appearance at work, etcetera, are effectively anti-women.

Granted, there are a variety of reasons for the heavy imbalance of numbers in STEM fields, but the workplace environment is a definite reason for it. So let’s live the spirit, and not just the letter of the CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women), and adopt policies at work that utilize affirmative action (where necessary) to protect the interests of women. Failing which one can follow the trend in the Nigerian case of Maduka v. Microsoft International, in which the National Industrial Court held the Fortune 500 parent company vicariously liable for a failure to investigate a sexual harassment charge filed locally against the Regional CEO.