What Are the Impacts on Women’s Health and Careers Due to Gender Discrimination?
Despite decades of progress, gender discrimination remains a major barrier to women's health and career advancement worldwide. From biased hiring practices to unequal access to medical care, women continue to face structural inequalities that affect both their personal and professional lives.
This article explores the wide-ranging impacts of gender discrimination on women's health and careers, highlighting the challenges they face and suggesting steps toward a more equitable future.
What Is Gender Discrimination?
Gender discrimination occurs when individuals are treated unfairly or unequally based on their gender. It can be overt—such as denying promotions to women—or subtle, like unequal pay, lack of maternity support, or dismissive behaviour in meetings.
This discrimination permeates social institutions, healthcare systems, workplaces, and households, shaping the way women experience the world from childhood through adulthood.
Impact of Gender Discrimination on Women’s Mental Health
Persistent exposure to inequality and bias can lead to significant psychological stress. The cumulative effect of being overlooked, underpaid, or marginalised can manifest as:
- Anxiety and depression: Women who experience workplace harassment or exclusion often report higher levels of anxiety and low self-esteem.
- Burnout: In high-pressure work environments where women feel they must work twice as hard to be recognised, burnout is common.
- Post-traumatic stress: Victims of gender-based violence or harassment may suffer long-term trauma, especially if their experiences are ignored or minimised.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience depression, partly due to gender-based societal pressures.
Physical Health Consequences of Discrimination
Gender discrimination also affects physical health, often in indirect but impactful ways. For example:
- Delayed diagnoses: Women’s symptoms are more likely to be dismissed or misdiagnosed, especially in conditions like heart disease or chronic pain.
- Lack of access to care: In many societies, cultural norms discourage women from prioritising their own health or attending medical appointments without male approval.
- Unsafe work conditions: Jobs typically held by women, such as caregiving or domestic work, often lack safety regulations or healthcare coverage.
These inequities contribute to increased mortality rates for women in preventable and treatable conditions, particularly in low-income and marginalised communities.
Reproductive Health and Gender Bias
Women’s reproductive health is one of the most affected areas when it comes to gender inequality. Key issues include:
- Lack of access to contraception: In some regions, women require spousal or parental consent for birth control.
- Limited abortion rights: Restrictive laws disproportionately impact women’s bodily autonomy and health outcomes.
- Menstrual stigma: In both developed and developing countries, menstruation is still stigmatised, leading to poor hygiene education and missed work or school days.
These barriers not only affect physical health but also restrict women's educational and professional opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage.
Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Despite strides in education and employment, women continue to face bias at nearly every level of their careers. Common forms of workplace discrimination include:
- Pay gaps: On average, women earn less than men for the same roles—particularly women of colour, LGBTQ+ women, and disabled women.
- Glass ceiling: Women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, especially in STEM fields, corporate boards, and politics.
- Lack of maternity leave: Many women face job insecurity or limited leave during pregnancy and postpartum, impacting career growth.
- Sexual harassment: Inappropriate behaviour, objectification, and power imbalances continue to create unsafe workplaces.
Even in organisations that support gender diversity on paper, women often face microaggressions and exclusion from decision-making processes.
Career Penalties for Caregiving
Women often bear the brunt of unpaid caregiving work—whether it's childcare, elder care, or supporting family members with health conditions. This can lead to:
- Career breaks that hinder advancement
- Limited networking opportunities
- Part-time or low-paid work
Such sacrifices not only affect women’s immediate earnings but also reduce long-term financial security, including pension contributions and retirement savings.
Intersectionality: A Deeper Layer of Discrimination
Gender discrimination is often compounded by other forms of oppression. For instance, women of colour, LGBTQ+ women, disabled women, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face multiple layers of marginalisation. These overlapping identities make accessing quality healthcare, education, and job opportunities even more difficult.
Understanding intersectionality is key to developing inclusive policies that serve all women, not just a privileged few.
Examples of Real-World Disparities
- Medical research gaps: Until the 1990s, women were largely excluded from clinical trials. Even today, many medications are tested predominantly on male participants, leading to less accurate dosing and side effect profiles for women.
- STEM representation: In the UK, only 24% of core STEM positions are held by women, highlighting the systemic barriers in education and hiring.
- Leadership roles: In the US, women make up over 50% of the workforce but hold only about 10% of Fortune 500 CEO positions.
What Can Be Done to Address Gender Discrimination?
While gender inequality is deeply entrenched, change is possible through coordinated efforts across individuals, institutions, and governments.
1. Policy Reform
Governments should implement and enforce anti-discrimination laws, mandate equal pay, and support parental leave for all genders. Policies should also ensure equitable access to healthcare and education.
2. Workplace Initiatives
Companies can promote equity by:
- Conducting regular pay audits
- Offering flexible work arrangements
- Implementing zero-tolerance policies for harassment
- Providing mentorship and leadership development for women
3. Healthcare Training
Medical professionals must be trained to recognise and counteract gender bias in treatment, diagnosis, and research. Medical institutions should diversify clinical trials and involve more women in medical leadership.
4. Public Awareness and Education
Changing cultural attitudes starts with education. Promoting gender equality in schools, media, and communities can reshape how future generations perceive women’s roles and rights.
How Women Can Advocate for Themselves
While systemic change is essential, women can also take steps to advocate for their own rights and well-being:
- Know your legal rights at work and in healthcare
- Join professional networks and support groups
- Speak up about discriminatory practices
- Support organisations and leaders who promote gender equity
Additionally, women can push for transparency around hiring, salaries, and promotion criteria to hold institutions accountable.
Conclusion
Gender discrimination casts a long shadow over women's health and career opportunities. From misdiagnosed illnesses to underpaid labour and missed leadership roles, the impact is both personal and societal. However, through education, policy reform, workplace equity, and cultural change, we can work towards a world where women have the same rights, opportunities, and quality of life as their male counterparts.
The time for gender equity is now—not just for women’s health and careers, but for the betterment of entire communities.
FAQs
Q: How does gender discrimination affect women’s health?A: It leads to delayed diagnoses, restricted access to care, mental health challenges, and less inclusion in medical research and treatment planning.
Q: What workplace challenges do women face due to discrimination?A: Women face pay gaps, limited leadership opportunities, lack of parental support, and frequent harassment or exclusion.
Q: Are women of all backgrounds affected equally?A: No. Women of colour, LGBTQ+ women, and those with disabilities often face compounded discrimination due to intersecting identities.
Q: What can be done to reduce gender discrimination?A: Stronger policies, equitable workplace practices, inclusive healthcare, and public awareness are key steps toward gender equality.
Q: Can women take legal action against workplace discrimination?A: Yes. Many countries have anti-discrimination laws. Women can file complaints through HR, labour boards, or legal bodies if their rights are violated.