Social Dialogue And Gender Equality In Workplace

Abstract

The concept of gender came into existence during the early 1970s, as an analytical category to draw a line of demarcation between biological sex differences assigned as masculine or feminine. The purpose of affirming a sex/ gender distinction was to uphold the actual physical or mental effects of biological difference which was then exaggerated among the women that they were naturally better suited to domestic roles. Though gender has always been a part of societal realities, its emergence as a concept and discursive tool is a modern phenomenon. This paper discusses the difference between gender equality, and gender bias in the workplace, gender discrimination and persistent barriers towards gender equality at work.

Introduction

Article 1 of the United Nation Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. According to Chatterjee(1987), discrimination begins with the fact that a girl is unwanted and therefore eliminated even before she can emerge into the world”. Early in life children begin to experience gander based differentiation and discrimination in their casual relationship with others, in distribution of family resources and in entitlement to family membership, nutrition, health care, education etc.

Gender equality is a goal to be achieved in the work environment – it creates a more vibrant, productive working culture, aiming at profitability. India struggles with gender inequality issues beyond equal economic growth and access to educational resource opportunities. Gender inequality raises its head in the form of socially constructed, predefined gender roles firmly anchored in India’s socio-cultural fabric that boasts of deep cultural and historical roots. Socio-cultural influences have spillover effects across all domains, including the organizational workforce, and social and political contexts. This unquestionable influence is widely accepted as the norm within the societal and familial periphery.

Gender equality is a vibrant social dialogue with fundamental values and cross-cutting issues for the International Labour Organization. In the year of 2009, the International Labour Conference concluded its discussion on “Gender equality at the heart of decent work” by reasoning that gender equality and tripartism are the basic policy tools to advance gender equality in the world of work.

Social Dialogue

Social dialogue is “an essential tool for advancing equality”(Briskin and Muller, 2011), decent work and inclusive growth. Various processes of social dialogue have been effective in addressing pay gaps, sexual harassment, (equal) access to jobs and skills upgrading. The two strategies that might harness social dialogue for greater gender equality at work: the first is ensuring that key actors in social dialogue are gender inclusive in both membership and leadership and the second is to ensure that policies and practices that address the structural disadvantages facing women and promote equality are central to the agenda for tripartite social dialogue, collective bargaining, workplace cooperation and other bipartite forms of social dialogue. This requires, among others, adapting existing mechanisms of representation and social dialogue to the changing world of work and the varying circumstances of working women and men.

India has ratified the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards)Convention, 1976 (No. 144)and the spirit of the Convention (though meant for dealing with matters concerning transaction of International Labour Organization (ILO) matters) is that the government must hold consultations with the representative organizations of employers and employees. It is a process involving social actors with equal strength to seek “solutions” with regard to common issues. ILO Consultation (Industrial and National Levels) Recommendation, 1960 (No. 113) specifies the modus operand of joint consultations.

Tripartite social dialogue has been in existence since the Second World War when the British government constituted Indian Labour Conference (ILC) among other consultative bodies to efficiently aid its war efforts. After a glorious period of fruitful law and policy-making through the 1950s and the early 1960s, it fell into disrepute later and was not functional for more than two decades since the early 1970s. It is important to note that the introduction of neo- liberal economic reforms necessitated the revival of tripartite social dialogue.

Social dialogue takes many different forms. As it can exist as a tripartite process, with the government as an official party to the dialogue or it may consist of bipartite relations only between labour and management (or trade unions and employers' organizations), with or without indirect government involvement. Concerted search for a consensus can be informal or institutionalized, and often it is a combination of the two. It can take place at the national, regional or local level. It can be inter-sectoral, sectoral or at enterprise level. Social dialogue institutions are often defined by their composition. They can be bipartite or tripartite. The tripartite actors are the representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations.

• Equal economic independence;
• Reconciliation of private and professional life;
• Equal representation in decision-making;
• Eradication of all forms of gender-based violence;
• Elimination of gender stereotypes;
• Promotion of gender equality in external and development policies.

Gender Equality

Gender equality refers to ensuring everyone gets the same resources regardless of gender, whereas gender equity focuses to understand the needs of each gender and provide them with what they need to succeed in a given activity or sector. The terms are at times used interchangeably but there are significant distinctions between them

In contrast to gender equality gender equity refers to the process of allocating resources based on the particular requirements of a gender. While gender equality focuses on providing the same starting circumstances for everyone the goal of gender equity is to provide both genders with the same end results. The term gender equity is often used as just a position for social justice. The concept of gender equality is used in correlation with the empowerment of women whereas gender equity refers to the process of treating both men and women with the same amount of fairness when it comes to the equality of chances based on individual needs.

The benefits of gender mainstreaming through SD and equality bargaining are multiple. They regard both men and women, not least because greater gender equality means:

• Reduction of employment segregation (less workforce divisions and competition)
• Reconciliation of work and family life
• Measures to combat sexual harassment

However, obstacles and problems persist. Gender equality is still long from being transversally recognized and treated as a priority in all aspects of SD. Certainly it is an important matter for trade unions.

It is intended to inform discussion at the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality, and particularly the roundtable on strategies to enhance women’s voice in the world of work. Harnessing social dialogue for greater gender equality is an important step in helping to move toward a future of work that is inclusive and better realizes the full potential of women in the workplace. Social dialogue has been a proven way to increase gender inequality by creating better and more equal access to jobs, advancing women’s issues, and by increasing social protection in industries

and sectors that have been traditionally female –such as domestic work(Hobden, 2015;Pillinger et al. 2016; ILO 2018).

Throughout the discussion note illustrations are provided of how social dialogue contributes to five key dimensions (thematic clusters) of sustainable development:

1. working conditions, workers’ rights and equality at work;
2. access (to public services) and redistribution;
3. growth and innovation;
4. environment & climate; and
5. governance and participation.

Gender equality and mainstreaming in the International Labour Office:

The concept of gender mainstreaming was first introduced in 1985 in the world Women conference Nairobi in Kenya Then this concept was formally approved in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing China in 1995.

The definition ‘gender mainstreaming’ given by the UN Economic and Social Council is universally accepted which goes thus.

“Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implication for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concern and experiences on integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all, political, economic and social spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goals is to achieve gender equality”

Gender mainstreaming is a vital effort to achieve gender equality in all areas. According to Jacqul True each part of the project or law should be seen in this perspective whether it is augmenting gender inequalities Under it the relation between women and men in each of political workplace, sexual; Cultural and violence fields is seen and those situations are attempted to be eradicated which produce unequal relations. Under it, it is ensured that each such includes gender issues and each organization includes gender perspective at the process level, working methodology level and policy action level of the all areas.

1. This circular spells out ILO policy on gender equality and mainstreaming. It supplements Circular 6/493 of 6 October 1993 on equality of opportunity and treatment for women in the International Labour Office, and is a crucial step towards implementation of gender equality and equity throughout the Organization.
2. As an Organization dedicated to fundamental human rights and social justice, the ILO must take a leading role in international efforts to promote and realize gender equality. Following the adoption in 1995 of the Platform for Action by the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women, the ILO strengthened its efforts to institutionalize gender concerns at all levels, at headquarters and in the field.
3. In order to ensure that the impact of our efforts is maximized and that resources are used effectively, mutually reinforcing action will be taken simultaneously on three fronts: staffing, substance and structure.