Monrovia – Gender inequality in workplaces continues to be a subject of concern across the world, particularly in developing countries. From the private to public sectors the situation remains a serious challenge.
However, organizations like Social Organization Society, (SOS) Children’s Villages in Liberia, see it is a commitment to change this paradigm, which it viewed as vital for national growth.
SOS National Management Team told FrontPageAfrica recently that work places in the country would be more gender friendly if qualified and potential women are consider for senior management positions.
Augustine Allieu, National Director of SOS said while this call is important, his entity has already earmarked the promotion of women as one of its strategic directions.
“To be an employer of choice, we are working continuously to improve the overall work environment and working conditions and building a family of committed and trustworthy co-workers; secondly to identify qualified and potential co-workers and invest in local capacity building of national staff, with a focus on gender equality,” Allieu said.
He noted that the group has launched a “gender in the workplace initiative” announcing what it calls, “two gender champions”.
This will lead members of the organization ito ensure a suitable workplace.
When quizzed about SOS gender equity impact, Allieu said since 2017, there have been improvements in the ratio between males and females on the National Management Team, adding that it is on a 50 percent basis.
“Making female participation a priority in National Management discussions is highly encouraging. This approach is not only in conformity with the MDG Goal 3 of the United Nations, or the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979, (CEDAW), or the SOS Children’s Villages International Gender Equality Policy, it is also the right thing to do”, he concludes,” Allieu added.
Gender inequality in Africa is a multi-layered and complex issue. Women are the main victims, with different forms of inequality both in families and at workplaces.
In a report released by the UNDP in 2017, it was found that women achieved only 87 per cent of the human development outcomes of men and only make 70 cents for each dollar made by men.
According to the World Bank, over 66 percent of Liberian females, age 15 and older, participate in some form of employment. Most of their employment is in the informal sector.
This figure from the World Development Indicators put the percentage at 11.4, much lower than the Sub Saharan Africa average of 32 percent.
At the same time, the Fund Development and Communications Manager of SOS, Miatta Sherman Jallah, said the inclusion of qualified women on the institution management team is significant to equitable participation and representation.
Commenting on the issue, SOS Human Resources and Organizational Development Manager, Moses Okunade noted that, “it is a right step taken by SOS Liberia towards ensuring a gender-equitable representation across our operations and at all levels as stipulated in SOS Gender Equality Policy.”
Liberian women continue to make strides in attaining gender parity in key decision-making positions nationally, however prior to the inception of the Weah’s administration women occupied five out of 21 Cabinet positions and nine out of 36 legislative positions.