257 American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) ISSN (Print) 2313-4410, ISSN (Online) 2313-4402 © Global Society of Scientific Research and Researchers http://asrjetsjournal.org/ Gender Imbalance: A Case Study. (Women Breaking Barriers in Management & Leadership) Agbesi Oscar Kekeli Koblaa*, Prof. Wang Li-Huab a,bZhejiang Normal University, College of Teacher Education and International Comparative Education 688 yingbin roads, 321004 Jinhua,-Zhejiang province, China aEmail: oscarkekeliagbesi@yahoo.com bEmail: lily0579@163.com Abstract Several studies have shown the advancements of women have been made and shown throughout history, very few women have risen to the top of various organizations around the world. Various research tries to expose gender imbalances, segregation based on job type, and the “old boys’ network” as causes for this trend. The purpose of this study is to focus on the women currently working in the various industries and organizations to explore their experiences in the workplace. Several methods were used to conduct the study. Where women working in leadership positions in both local and international organizations, industries. Their responses to the research questions contradict and many studies. The results of this study show that women are overcoming and breaking those barriers, and they are breaking those stereotypes at a very fast pace. And the interesting thing about it is, women in Africa and the so many developing countries are seen to be part of the fight against gender inequality. Keywords: Working and walking side-by-side to build a better world for all. Today’s woman. 1. Introduction The leadership and management style of today`s woman has changed tremendously. Today’s women style of management also uses the feeling approach when they are making decisions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Corresponding author. http://asrjetsjournal.org/ American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 29, No 1, pp 257-262 258 This style of management and leadership uses the feeling types “prefers making decisions based on subjective values, allowing not emotions, sympathy, but professionalism and the desire for harmony to enter the equation. The brawny style of management uses not only the thinking approach when making important decisions. The thinking approach “prefers logic, objective values, principles, laws, firmness and respect of for lay down laws and standards in making a decision. Years ago many types of research show that more men will prefer the brawny thinking approach, where more women prefer the feminine approach of feeling when making important decisions. Many selves employed people who use the feminine or motherly approach earn less because often emotion can come into play when a woman is making a decision, which leads to making an empathetic decision usually not in the favor of increased profits and the bottom line. This leads to the conclusion that “self-employed professionals who are highly empathetic in their dealing with clients will achieve a lower level of income than self-employed professionals who are less empathetic [1]. In recent time, one factor is that a much higher proportion of women do part-time jobs, and part-time work tends to pay much less per hour than full-time, and as research has shown that part-timers workers aren`t considered full-time workers that can stand for their rights when it comes to issues of payments. Because this kind of staffs are always abused and threatened with the sack when they try speaking up.in most parts of the world the part-time workers are mostly women, and sometimes women with young kids, that wakes up in the mornings to go clean offices before the start of the day's works. And what these women want most times is just to earn a leaving and take care of the family. Especially in Africa and most part of developing world where there are weak laws that support women, especially women in young kids and women without education. And doesn`t also know about their rights to belong to a union that fights for workers right. And the employers will not also educate them about their right to belong to a workers union that fight for the betterment and right of workers when they are being short-changed. 1.1. Today`s Woman will Prove you wrong like never Before In recent times women around the world have proven beyond doubt that, if given the chance she can be whatever she wants to be, with the right laws today`s woman can reach greater heights without the help of anyone. What today`s woman is the right laws and she is good to go. This has been proven in any organization in the world. Years ago women were less likely to be given the types of development and opportunities that were viewed as necessary to support progression into higher levels of management and leadership and ultimately into board positions. Those women who had received the necessary development often reported having sought out and/or created the opportunities themselves [2].Many international and local agencies, and organizations have a very broad agenda in assisting women to improve their status in higher education. This may include but not limited to a number of approaches: advocacy at the highest levels with governments and international agencies and organizations such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth, training, holding seminars and conferences, preparing publicity, information and training materials. UNESCO / Commonwealth Secretariat / Association of Commonwealth Universities priorities identified for the period 1997-2000 include the development of a gender management system for the higher education sectors; training programs for women managers with assistance for embedding these in local institutions; creating and increasing training resources; initiating gender sensitization for men and women, and the development of courses and course materials[3]. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 29, No 1, pp 257-262 259 1.2. Pay Disparity between Women and Men Even though women in this day and age have proven to be time without number that, they can do more or even better when it comes to leadership and managerial qualities, they are still paid less in most parts of the worlds. Research has shown that Chinese women have a minimal increase their pay gap since the 1990s. Those in full- time work now earn more per hour than White British men (a reverse gap of -5.6%), but the gap between Chinese men and women has widened from 4.6% in the 2000s to 11.6% in 2010s [4].In Pakistan and Bangladesh. Women experience the largest aggregate (i.e. including full-time and part-time workers) gender pay gap is at 26.2%. In the United States, an average woman worker or women employed full-time in the United States lose a combined total of more than $840 billion every year due to the pay disparity or wage gap. Women, their families, businesses and the United States economy also suffer as a result of this disparity. Lost wages mean families have less money to save for the future or to spend on basic necessities – spending that helps drive the economy to grow [5]. Another finding discovered the pay gap between men and women in the United States soccer or national teams known as yes and no. and according to figures provided by U.S. Soccer, since 2008 it has paid 12 players at least $1 million. Six of those players were men, and six were women. And the women hold their own near the top of the pay scale; the best-paid woman made about $1.2 million from 2008 to 2015, while the top man made $1.4 million in the same period meanwhile the women were winning silverwares while the male national teams won nothing [8]. Some women in the top 10 even made more than their male counterparts over those years when it was the women teams that were winning silverwares for the nation but was been paid less. But the numbers diverge down the list. At No. 25, the female player made just under $341,000, and the corresponding male player supplemented his salary by about $580,000. At No. 50, the male player made 10 times as much as his female counterpart. When a country like the United States in superintending pay disparity against their women and men national teams, what will countries without laws do to women that are working hard and harder to bridge the gender pay gap? 1.3. Women in Decision-making There need to be more women in decision-making processes that affect women and the girl child, many countries around the globe still looking down upon women when it comes to decision, especially majority of the countries have limited number of women in politics or political office holders, this was realized when conducting the research and the survey. Countries need to support women in getting more involved in politics, an example will be to reserve safe political constituencies for women contestants to contest, frankly speaking, I believe that when this is done I believe more women will be represented higher in the decision-making chamber`s around, like parliaments,congress,provincial seats. This will offer the women the right platforms to put to bear their contribution to the development of not only women, girls or girl child. Example during Ghana`s December 2016 elections stated that and this quoted is Sources from the Electoral Commission, it indicated that the nationwide figure of women who won the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, December 7, to represent their respective constituencies in the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana, which commences on January 7, 2017, has increased from 29 to 37.This comprises 24 women elected on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and 13 on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) [6] though this is a minimal increase it’s a step in the right direction. Because it has seen an increase and not a decrease. Though is a representation in American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 29, No 1, pp 257-262 260 the highest decision-making chamber in Ghana. But what is been done to increase the number of women in the district or local level decision-making process? This is equally important or more important because local level election contestants are people who live and dine with the electorates or constituents. China has also formulated and implemented some laws, regulations and policy outlines to ensure that women enjoy equal political rights as their male counterparts, this has resulted in a higher level of female participation in politics office and a greater role played by women in decision-making processes and management of state and social affairs. Improving laws and policies that boost women's participation in decision-making and management. China has also and again formulated and implemented proactive measures to boost women’s participation in decision-making and management, which, in turn, has helped increase the number and proportion of women in decision-making and managerial positions. The detailed implementation rules of the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women and the Electoral Law adopted by various places across China all include explicit provisions on the proportion of women candidates to local people's congresses. The state has formulated a special plan that defines the goals of and requirements for training and selection of women officials and has taken concrete measures to increase the number and proportion of women officials at various levels. The Organic Law of the Village Committees of the People’s Republic of China rules that "female villager representatives should make up more than one-third of the village committee." The Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2011- 2020) states that "by 2020 the percentage of women in village committees will exceed 30 percent, and that female village committee heads should exceed 10 percent"; and that "the ratio in neighborhood committees should be around 50 percent." The Election Procedure of Village Committees issued in 2013 specifies that "village committee candidate lists should include a certain number of women; if not, those women who get the most votes should be candidates." This show that a number of measures have been adopted to improve the representation of women in village committees [7]. One of Ghana`s pioneers of gender equality in the country, Professor Akua Kuenyehia has indicated what she describes as the slow pace of Ghana’s achievement with respect to gender equality. Issues Gender Disparity Needs to Speed Up Ghanaian legal Luminary and academic and a Judge of the international criminal court Professor Kuenyehia. She made this during Commission on the Status of Women in New York .Everyone will agree with her that, truly in the 21 century we should not be talking about empowering but rather ensuring that women get their rightful place in the society and in every aspect of the decision-making process. The right laws will and policy documents should be introduced, passed by highest making chambers and implemented without delay. Governments and decision makers should ensure that women are given the required education on the laws and protection of women and the girl child. Most importantly to right for every girl child to acquire education, no matter the financial status of her parents whether dead or alive. The right for women to involve in every decision making that involved women and the girl-child and also to ensure a quota for women when it comes to employment in both the public and private sectors. The CSW conference is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping the global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women around the globe. It was established by Council resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946. The theme this year is Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. Professor Kuenyehia who was one of three judges on the ICC chaired Ghana’s side of the CSW on the American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 29, No 1, pp 257-262 261 Theme “The Economic Empowerment of Women in the Cocoa Industry in Ghana. She explained Ghana was “looking at empowering the rural woman in terms of economic; this particular presentation by Ghana was to showcase the Ghanaian rural woman especially in the cocoa industry. The industry is one of our biggest economic activity and it was to showcase the role women play in the sector, what their challenges are so that they can be helped to achieve the maximum not just for themselves but for the entire country” she added. Touching on the focus of the 2017 conference, she stated the Conference was concentrating on women at the workplace because that is the problem women have. “Even though they work all the time, their work is not always recognized. For instance, when you are a housewife, it is assumed you don’t work. But if you calculate the amount of time that goes into cooking, cleaning washing and taking care of children, it’s a lot. “So the objective is to look at women in the workplace and how they can be helped to make the maximum impact,” Prof. Kuenyehia said. She, however, maintained “progress is slow and I think that’s how it is all over the world’. The 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women currently underway in New York is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women [9]. The monitoring mechanism to ensure that issues relating to women empowerment need to increase across the globe. Especially in Africa and the middle eastern. More emphasis should also give to women in war-torn countries where women and children especially the are those that are most of the receiving, taking into consideration pregnant and nursing mother, women in their old age.in most parts of the world, this women and girls are used as sex slaves and the time has come for all countries around the world to introduce and pass and implement laws that guarantee the protection and safety of women. The quota system for women when it comes to college education, technical education, university education, and every sector of education. Again employment will be one of the surest ways to realize the gains and benefit of gender equality. And doing same when it comes to employment. 2. Conclusion In conclusion, the research realized that, women are still not given the recognition that they deserve in both management and leadership, in most part of the globe especially in the development world, they education about women equality, education and policies that offer women the strength and confidence in both the public and private sector is lacking.The perception about women not able to perform sections in the society is relevant in most parts of the globe, and it's about time policy makers take a serious look at issues relating to women and girl child serious, especially when it comes to the education, employment, promotion to the higher positions and to leadership positions. Because women have proven that, they can do better than even men in terms of leadership. Acknowledgement My greatest thanks go to Prof. Prof. Wang Li-Hua. Zhejiang Normal University, College of Teacher Education and International Comparative Education. For her excellent supervisory guidance, also to my Boss Ms. Li, (CEO) Jinhua Fang-Ge Foreign language school for her support .skills, and help. Thank you for your advice, guidance, and assistance. The management and staff of the college are not left out for their support in making this research a success I say thank you very much. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 29, No 1, pp 257-262 262 Dedication Finally, I will like to dedicate this work to my Greatest and most supportive Dad. Honorable Alfred Agbesi. Former Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency and Former Deputy Majority leader of Parliament of Ghana. References [1] Nicole Parcheta, Belal A. Kaifi, Nile M. Khanfar, Gender Inequality in the Workforce: A Human Resource Management Quandary. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly 2013, Volume 4, Number 3. [2] A Broughton, L Miller. Encouraging Women into Senior Management Positions: How Coaching Can Help. An international comparative review and research. (2009) [3] A good practice handbook, Women, and management in higher education. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Follow-up to the World Conference On Higher Education (Paris 5-9 October 1998) [4] 150 years Fawcett. Equality is about time. Many minority ethnic women ‘left behind’ by pay gap progress. EMBARGO 00:01 Monday 6th March 2017. [5] Fact sheet, America’s Women and the Wage Gap. OCTOBER 2016. [6] International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics. Retrieved from: http://iknowpolitics.org/en/news/world-news/more-women-elected-ghanas-parliament. [7] Retrieved from http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/32832/Document/1449898/1449898.htm, last date accessed 28\3\2107. [8] Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/sports/soccer/usmnt-uswnt-soccer-equal- pay.html?_r=0, last date accessed 28\3\2107. [9] Retrieved from http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw61-2017, last date accessed 28\3\2107. http://iknowpolitics.org/en http://iknowpolitics.org/en/news/world-news/more-women-elected-ghanas-parliament http://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/32832/Document/1449898/1449898.htm https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/sports/soccer/usmnt-uswnt-soccer-equal-pay.html?_r=0 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/sports/soccer/usmnt-uswnt-soccer-equal-pay.html?_r=0