understanding origins to drive progress
Most societies evolved with a built-in inequality between men and women. Many religious texts require women to defer to their husband, something that has been carried into the workplace. Women and men are held to different standards, and are judged by different measures of success.
This disparity between the genders can make workforce education extremely complex. Consider not only religious, but also societal assumptions that unconsciously dictate the role of women in the workplace. Movies, music and tv shows all acknowledge the struggle of women to obtain respect in a male dominated workplace, but few have done so with the intention of affecting change. Instead, it's a joke or personal story, but rarely is it a call to action.
This disparity between the genders can make workforce education extremely complex. Consider not only religious, but also societal assumptions that unconsciously dictate the role of women in the workplace. Movies, music and tv shows all acknowledge the struggle of women to obtain respect in a male dominated workplace, but few have done so with the intention of affecting change. Instead, it's a joke or personal story, but rarely is it a call to action.
The separation between men and women can be felt more acutely in Arab nations, where equal rights for women expands far beyond the labor force.
In this video, Dr Behjat Al Yousuf, Associate Director of Dubai Women's College speaks about their efforts to provide educational opportunities for women, within the constraints of their culture. |
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As you can see, higher education and workforce education is not only a means to further educate a labor force. It's also a way to challenge perceptions and back up these challenges with practical application and physical proof that these initiatives can be successful.