Why Gender Diversity Training is Important
Gender-diversity training can help companies and other enterprises to be competitive and run more smoothly in a number of ways.
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Communication
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According to P.S. Perkins, CEO of Human Communication Institute, while the number of females present in American workplaces has risen, male communication methods still dominate the office. In an age of rampant greed and the pursuit of personal satisfaction, Perkins believes that training to promote acceptance of female communication styles could be of great benefit.
Function
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The Scottsdale National Gender Institute says that effective gender-diversity training can have a number of beneficial effects. Among these are the ability to attract and retain the most qualified candidates, regardless of gender, and a reduction of intra-office tension.
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Considerations
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According to the Australian government, women often have workplace issues that differ from those men experience. These can include absences from the workforce due to pregnancy or child-rearing and the undervaluation of jobs that predominantly affect females, both of which can impact pay differentials. Gender training can sensitize managers to these concerns.
Significance
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An agency of the United Nations, the International Labour Organization's Uruguay-based Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training, says that the necessity of a gender-based perspective goes beyond equality and morality. It is also good human resource policy because it increases competitiveness of “enterprises and of the country as a whole.”
Service
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Mauricio Velasquez, president of the Diversity Training Group, says that businesses should focus on diversity training because it helps them know their customers better: “If you don't resemble the community you serve, how can you begin to provide its members with high quality customer service?”
Solution
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Proper sensitivity training programs can be of help in mounting an affirmative legal defense for an organization should a harassment or discrimination suit arise, says Workplace Answers.
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References
Resources
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