Gender discrimination is an illegal act in which a person experiences unfair treatment based on their gender. Typically, when one thinks of gender discrimination in the workplace, one thinks of the struggles of cis-gendered women. While this is partially true, nonbinary and transgender members of the LGBTQIA community also face gender discrimination in the workplace for their identity.
Again, this is illegal, and the impacts of gender discrimination in the workplace are much more harmful and insidious than one may initially imagine.
Different subsets of people experience gender discrimination in the workplace at different rates and in various forms. For example, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Black women are disproportionally affected by gender discrimination in the workplace. Other groups that are disproportionately harassed are Hispanic and Latin women, Asian women, Native American women, pregnant women, and transgender and nonbinary people.
Typically, women of color also face racism in conjunction with gender discrimination. Pregnant women fear getting laid off or replaced before their allotted maternity leave ends. Transgender and gender non-conforming people may also face higher rates of violent harassment and gender discrimination.
Many mental-health ramifications can occur in employees who are the victims of gender discrimination in the workplace. Because people spend so much of their lives at their place of employment, it is not always an option to just quit. Many people are stuck in a hostile and potentially dangerous work environment. This constant exposure has lasting impacts on the mind. It can lead to depression, anxiety, isolation, low self-esteem, and much more.
If a person is fired or harassed based on their gender, it also has social and economic effects that can ruin a person’s life. Many adults make their network of friends through their job. If one becomes isolated from their social network, it can also lead to the mental repercussions we’ve stated previously.
In addition, if the employer fires the employee or pays them less than their peers, the employee may need to take on multiple jobs to feed themselves and their family while keeping a roof over their heads. This can lead to hunger, homelessness, lack of medical care, and lack of proper access to everyday necessities.
While the impacts of gender discrimination in the workplace may not seem immediately apparent to those on the outside, to those suffering, it can be an uphill battle that negatively affects the physical and mental health of many women and gender non-conforming people. That’s why, if you believe you’ve been a victim of gender discrimination in the workplace, you need gender discrimination attorney Tamara N Holder to help you uphold your rights as an employee.
