Challenges faced by women employees in career progression in mobile telephony industry in Kenya

Abstract

In recent years, women as well as gender issues have turned into a major area of concern. Seminars and workshops are being held over the world to discuss women issues and women progression in all areas of life. That is because of the most significant features of the global labour market in the last half of the twentieth century, which is increasing the participation of women. Now more than ever, women are competing for managerial positions, however, they are limited in their development. The emergence and determined survival of women in high flying jobs today in corporations and organizations depends on their own willingness to confront and fight strong barriers and hurdles that stand their way, some too grave to confront and others less weighty. The objective of the study was to determine the challenges faced by women employees in career progression among the mobile telephony companies in Kenya. The research design used was descriptive cross sectional survey design. The population of the study was 604 managerial employees in the three mobile companies in Kenya. The study used stratified random sampling. The sample comprised of 10% from each stratum of the target population. The study used primary data which was collected through self-administered questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences based on the questionnaires. Results will be presented in tables and figures. The study found out that work life balance, discriminatory culture, stereotyping, glass ceiling, and chauvinism and sexual harassment. The company‟s management was found to be committed to promoting gender equality though lack of technical expertise by the women contributed to underrepresentation of women. Work life balance challenge was through employees reacting employees react negatively to women in management positions as compared to men, assertive behavior of women in the company makes them to be seen as being counter to their social roles as women and women traits and behaviors exhibited being not conducive to being promoted. Stereotyping in the mobile firms affected women progression through limited access to informal interaction networks in the company, and that women who are assertive are viewed negatively in my organization. Glass ceiling hindered women progression through choices made by women regarding their careers affect their career progression and that women in the company are prejudiced and discriminated in the workplace. The study recommends that having noted that organizations incorporate the art of appreciation and acknowledgements in their value systems so that stereotyping is done away with. It is important to understand that the experience of women in organizations situated in an unequal society have not been pleasant.