During the twentieth century, sexual equality has improved in most parts of the world. Women entering the workplace and the sexual revolution have precipitated the full participation of women in society. Still, the twentieth century saw working women mostly as secretaries and phone operators, with little or no advancement opportunity. The male-dominated and intimidating corporate world remained difficult for women to enter.
For example, in major orchestras, face-to-face auditions were the norm, and women were never hired. To change the status quo, the US professional orchestras introduced blind auditions in the 1970s. In blind auditions, the identity of candidates is concealed from the jury by a screen. In the following two decades, blind audition gave women a chance to shine in orchestras; the percent of female musicians in the five highest-ranked orchestras rose more than three times and six times overall.
The recent exposure of sexual misconduct by powerful men has shown that quotas alone cannot solve the existing sexual inequalities. Although Weinstein’s downfall opened the floodgates for exposing sexual misconduct of high-powered public figures, these revelations probably represent just the tip of the iceberg, focusing on the movie industry, politics, and news media. Problems probably exist in education, manufacturing, banking, and the medical field. When people in leadership positions get away with predatory and abusive behavior, it erodes trust, causing uncertainty. Other factors influencing personal attitude are ruthlessness, aggression, and willingness to bend the rules infect the work milieu, equality remains illusory. Lack of confidence changes the mind in subtle ways. It reduces the brilliance, creativity, and innovative spirit that is necessary for promotion and career advancement.
Trust is vital for better economic advancement and thus correlates with higher social status. Several recent studies confirm that individuals with greater trust have higher income and higher net worth. Making the workplace safe for everyone will mute conflicts and ushering in a more flexible social environment. It will nurture trust, reduce social distance, and promote faster social and technological progress.
Related: The role of women in the Techworld
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