Gender Sensitivity in the Workplace: Experiences and Solutions

Although the idea that women and men are equal seems widely accepted in society, that equality has not yet been fully established in workplace behavior. My experiences as a female employee and office head show that gender equality is not ensured by legal provisions alone; it requires equal transformation in thinking, behavior, institutional structure, and policy.

It was about a decade ago. I was working as the head of a thematic office at the district level. One afternoon, I was performing my regular duties in my office. At that time, a male service recipient of middle age came to the office to receive services and, standing at my office door, asked the office assistant waiting outside, “Where is the boss sir?”