Perceived Gender Discrimination in the Workplace in Relation to Psychographic Variables of Public Secondary Teachers: Basis for Enhancement Program

It is remarkable that female is dominant in teaching profession. In secondary schools, the presence of significant numbers of both women and men can lead to the view that women face no barriers in this profession, or even that they are at an advantage since they represent a slight majority of secondary school teachers. In this regard, gender is not an issue on hiring of teachers in public sector. So, gender discrimination is a big question if it’s existing in education sector. Some would feel sensitive to this issue. Undeniably, teachers faced many challenges in the field. Teachers also reported being mistreated or bullied, or perceived it is happening. On a personal level, in an interview conducted by the researcher, it was found out that there are teachers who perceived that they are discriminated because of their gender. Some of them would say that they feel they are treated differently because of their gender and have to work harder to get the same level of recognition. They would feel depressed but don’t take any action to resolve it. They believed that it is important to identify this perception to help put their self-doubt to rest. Moreover, perceived gender discrimination is an individual’s perception that he or she is treated differently or unfairly because of his or her gender or group membership. It is important to study employee perceptions of discrimination because they affect key areas of human resource management and development, such as employee relations. Whether it affects men or women, it needs attention because these perceptions can affect their attitudes and behavior. Besides, the effects of unfair treatment in the workplace are not limited to psychological harm. It also increases stress levels and may lead to greater rates of physical illness. Likewise, perceived gender discrimination can lead to higher rates of tardiness and absenteeism due to health problems that arise from workplace stress.