COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
CHAPTERS: Chapter 1-5 | DOC FORMAT: MS WORD/PDF | PRICE: ₦5,000

GET COMPLETE WORK

EFFECT OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION ON WOMEN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

ABSTRACT

The concept of gender generally have been observed to be an uncontrollable factor which individuals have little or no ability to influence, however, discrimination have been observed to occur when employers needs to make employment opportunity during recruitment, promotion or even in succession planning for strategic management position. This study aimed at examining the effect of gender discrimination oonwomen employment opportunity a study of some selected banks in Nigeria which includes First Bank PLC; Guaranty Trust Bank and United Bank for Africa. Review of an extant literature was done on the construct variables. The target populations for this study are the employees of the selected banks which were selected using the simple random technique the combined population of 150. A sample of 109 respondents was selected using the Yaro Yammane formula. Questionnaires were administered by hand to the chosen sample by the researcher to elicit data from the respondents for this study. Multiple linear regression was used to test hypotheses using 0.05% significance level while frequencies, cumulative frequencies, and percentages were used to analyze the demographic data of the respondent. The findings from the study showed that a single variable of gender discrimination may not be significant to influence employment opportunity in banking sector but when used together they can jointly influence the employment opportunity in banking sector.  The R square which shows the variation gives 0.3456 and adjusted R square of 0.54678. The R square which shows the variation gives 0.3456 and adjusted R square of 0.54678. Based on the findings, the study concluded that Women are Prone to sexual harassment in bank and this should be eliminated for effective attainment of organizational objectives. The study also recommends that Promotion opportunity should be opened for both female and male to boost their morale and enhance performance and finally a convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against employees was also recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Gender discrimination is a fundamental social phenomenon which has given rise to a serious debate in relation to assigning social roles to human societies. Gender is concerned with the psychological, social and cultural differences between male and female in addition to different psychological characteristics, male and females have distinctive physical traits, characteristics and personalities. Triandis (1994) recognized that the content behavior of individuals is a consequence of both socially enforced rules and values and individual disposition, whether genetic, unconscious or conscious. Creativity may cause the rules and value changes overtime, cultures and societies are dynamic and ever changing but there has been extensive debate as to how, and how fast, they may change. Such debates are especially contentions when they involve gender/sex system as people have widely differing views about how much gender depends on biological sex. Early in life a person acquires a gender identity, and once a child has gender identity, he/she begins to assemble gender roles in masculine and feminine tracts not only are they different but are measured and valued. The feminine traits stress delicacy, dependency, emotionality, nurturance and verbal skills while that of masculinity borders on toughness, aggressiveness, independence (Alamveabee, 2005). Due to this inferred differences between the male and the female, society tends to assign more challenging tasks to men and more suitable or less demanding task to women (Pearson, 2000).

During the early years of this country (Nigeria) in 1922, women were not entitled to the same rights and privileges as men. Women were not allowed to vote as enshrined in the Clifford’s Constitution of 1922, restricting the electorate to adult males in Calabar and Lagos and were usually required to surrender control of their property to their husband upon marriage because of the patrilineal system which confers rights of inheritance on the male child (Igbuzor, 2012). Moreover, their educational and occupational opportunities were severely limited on the basis that every woman is supposed to consider motherhood as the principal purpose of her existence, she is expected to produce children, cook, clean, mend and wash clothes and take care of men and be subordinate to male authority (Oganwu, 1996).

Gender discrimination is the consequence of persistent inequality between men and women in all spheres of life (Jannatul, 2011). Gender discrimination is treating individuals differently in their employment specifically because an individual is a woman or a man (Busse, 2003). Discrimination occurs in various forms in everyday life as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO 2003), any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, natural extraction or social origin which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity and treatment in employment or occupation is discriminatory. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, banking was more of a male occupation and all bank tellers were men as the banking sector expands, more responsible positions were created and the state of the tellers which men occupied declined, women filled the positions vacated by men and today many bank tellers are women (Iloegbunam, 2006).

With particular reference to the banking sector in Nigeria, specifically within Ilorin metropolis, the study intends to find out the effect of gender discrimination in banks and how it affects employment opportunity.

Employment is a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contact, one being the employer and the other being the employee (Kaifi, 2013). It is further defined as an agreement between an employer and an employee that the employee will provide certain services on the job, and in the employer’s designated workplace, to facilitate the accomplishment of the employer organization’s goals and mission, in return for compensation. Employment opportunity go beyond determining which employees are due for raises. Through regular, objective performance appraisals, managers acquire information to make and implement opportunity about promotions, transfers, demotions, separations, and compensation within the banking sector. In most organizations, outstanding employees are recognized for their hard work and outstanding performances, and offered promotions. A promotion generally means rewarding an employee’s efforts by moving that person to a job with increased authority and responsibility. Downsizing has led many firms to rely on lateral moves or transfers instead of promoting employees. A lateral move can act as an opportunity for future vertical advancement because it can broaden an employee’s experiences and add skills (Ridgeway, 2001).

• Statement of the Problem.

Nigeria has a strong patriarchal structure which is a major feature of a traditional society that maintained the sexual division of labor in the household. The same structures restrict women’s availability for wage work and indirectly condition the terms of employment for those who enter the organization (Aina, 1998). Gender discrimination for both male and female is characterized by limited employment opportunities and marked substandard wages, poor work condition, unstable hours and disadvantageous employment contracts. Gender stereotype sustain occupational and task segregation, such as when an idea that women are uncommitted to work and exclude them from leadership position, this is often referred to as the “glass ceiling” which is a form of discrimination seen as an invisible barrier that prevents women from climbing the ranks of management because the upper level and executive positions are given to men, glass ceiling policies are unwritten, and sometimes referred to as the “old boys network”, but whatever it is called, it is another form of gender discrimination (Bihagen & Ohils, 2006).

Wolfe (2017) opines that men are also discriminated against, younger men are more likely to be promoted or hired, but there are situations in which men are discriminated against simply because they are men in exactly the same way in which women are discriminated against for no other reason than they are female. It does not matter whether an employee is male or female, discrimination based on gender is illegal (Ohotu, 2017), it also does not foster a great working environment when any individual or group of people receive favoritism over others. Some employers want to harass or take undue advantage of employees before giving them employment or its equivalent such as promotion, training, transfer among others, not taking into consideration their skills and qualification. Benisheikh (2015) and Kilman (2010) carried out studies on gender discrimination in other sectors and have proven the adverse effect on employment opportunity.

The prevailing effect of gender discrimination on employment opportunity in most banking sector had been rooted from biological make up of sex educational training, experience and skill acquisition in the banking sector but today, the situation has change that banks are not only employing university graduates on a full-time, but also engage greater number of women as senior and management staff (Omolewa, 2002). However, a new trend appears to be taking place in all the banks especially the new generation bank, it appeared as if preference is given to men in particular banks and in particular sections of the bank while women are also given preference in other sections (Benisheik, 2015).

Yinka, (2001) emphasized that only one in five financial institutions had ever been headed by a female. Coupled with inconsistency in the previous study stirred up serious controversies with regards to gender equality within the banking sector when it comes to employment opportunity. It is on such premises that this work intends to explore the effect of gender discrimination on employment opportunity of selected banks in Nigeria.

• Research Objectives

The main objective of this study work is to examine the effect of gender discrimination on employment opportunity of selected banks in Nigeria. To achieve this, the following specific objectives intend to:

1. To identify the effect of socio-cultural norms on employment in Nigerian banking sector.
2. To determine how sexual harassment has an effect on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector.

• To identify the effect of less promotion opportunity on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector.

1.4       Research Questions

Based on the research problems, the study aims to provide solutions to the question as follows:

1. Do socio-cultural norms have an effect on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector?
2. What is the effect of sexual harassment on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector?

• Does less promotion opportunity have an effect on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector?

1.5       Research Hypothesis

The following research hypotheses are formulated as follows:

1. Ho₁ Socio-cultural norms do not have an effect on employment opportunity in Nigeria banking sector.
2. Ho₂ Sexual harassment has no significant effect on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector.

• Ho₃ Less promotion opportunity has no effect on employment opportunity in Nigerian banking sector.
  • Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the effect of gender discrimination on employment opportunity of selected banks in Nigeria. This study centers on the employment opportunity of the banking sector in Nigeria whether is gender based or not. The study carried out in three (3) selected banks within Ilorin metropolis include: First Bank PLC, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB). The study conducted on these banks was due to the proximity of the banks to the researcher as well as the availability of data and access to the banks, so as to save time as well as cost. The study will covers both employer and employees within these stipulated banks. The data for the study covers the period of (2006-2016) as a result of the consolidation and merger of banks by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN): this will enable the researcher have enough access to data available for the study.

1.7       Significance of the Study

The ultimate and paramount reason behind this study is to determine the effect of gender discrimination on employment opportunity of selected banks in Nigeria. The findings of the study shall be of significant benefit to diverse groups in the society, the study shall be of immense significance to the Nigerian banking sector: bankers, shareholders, management, employers as well as employees among others. It will help the management to be cautious and fair in treating employees regardless of gender whether male or female. The study will be of significant value to the federal, state and local government as well as other relative authorities of labour as it will bring to light that discrimination on all fronts by all means is a violation of human rights.

Employers and employees will also stand to benefit from this study as it will assist employers to treat employees with fairness holding in high esteem for employee’s talent, performance and abilities to perform a task rather than subject them to unfair practices of discrimination resulting to sexual harassment, unfair pay among others on the basis of gender. The study will be of benefit to future researchers and students as it would provide literature materials on the subject matter and it will broaden their knowledge. The study will also be of benefit to the general public as it involves gender discrimination which has become a global concern as there is a call for gender equality all over the world by the United Nations Organization and its organs.

 

 

1.8       Operational Definitions

Gender: is socially constructed definition of women and men. It is not the same as sex (biological characteristics of women and men) and it is not the same as women. Gender is determined by the conception of task, functions and roles attributed to women and men in society.

Discrimination: it is defined as the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age or sex.

Employment: is a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract, one being the employer and the other being the employee.

Employee: an individual who works per time or fulltime, under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied and recognized rights and duties. Also called worker

Employer: a legal entity that controls and directs a servant or worker under an express or implied contract of employment and pay (or is obligated to pay) him or her salary or wages in compensation.

Stereotype: it is defined as a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.