Understanding and tackling Gender Bias in the workplace

The belief that there are fundamental and universal differences between the sexes is a popular one. But it’s a belief that lacks scientific backing and one that continues to underpin gender inequality and discrimination, both in the workplace and in society. This course looks at the nature of gender bias, how it affects both individuals and organisations and what we can do to reduce its impact on our relationships and decision-making.

Studies have shown that contrary to popular stereotypes, there are no differences at all in terms of women’s and men’s cognitive abilities. What’s more, the gendered roles that today appear immutable have not always been so - history tells us that prior to the industrial revolution, men and women performed a wide range of mutually interchangeable roles, and that even 100 years ago, jobs that today are seen as typically ‘female’ were done almost exclusively by men. Yet today’s workplace remains hampered by perceptions of gender-specific roles and broadly accepted ‘norms’ of gender behaviour, and organisations and individuals are suffering as a result.

In this course from Skill Boosters, Professor Binna Kandola and Dr Jo Kandola explain how today’s gender inequality stems not from biology and evolution but from artificial social constructs and show how challenging gender bias and dismantling gender stereotypes can deliver huge benefits at both an individual and organisational level.

This course looks at:

• Why we carry around gender stereotypes and how they affect us
• The impact of gender bias in the workplace and the business case for tackling it
• Why addressing our bias helps us to assess people’s strengths, skills and potential more objectively and ensure that we recruit, retain and advance the best people
• How to make sure that the decisions that we make are well-informed, fair and sustainable
• Practical techniques for identifying and addressing bias at an individual and organisational level