Once again, the gender gap that tarnishes the workforce in Costa Rica is highlighted.
Six out of ten bosses are men and only four are women. This was revealed by the latest report prepared by the Labor Professionals Observatory (OLAP) of the National Council of Rectors (CONARE).
This inequality is not a typical reality of Costa Rica. For example, women represent only 22.6% of parliamentary conformation worldwide, according to the Bureau of Women of the United Nations Organization (UN).
It is a reflection of discrimination as a result of the inequality between the treatment, the culture towards men and women; the opportunities,
declared Ana Isabel Garita, coordinator of Public Policies for Women’s National Women’s Institute (INAMU).
The study also found other information that exemplifies the difficulty women face when ascending to senior positions within companies, both public and private.
It is interesting to note that although university graduates are mostly women (63%), leadership positions are male-dominated,”
reads the document.
Garita also mentioned some practices that deepen this gap:
-Sexual vision of work: women are accountants or secretaries, men are architects or doctors.
-Little knowledge of the market and the workforce occupied by women in the country.
-Fear of making women visible in high positions (sometimes driven by physical situations such as pregnancy).
-Persistent macho culture (although to a lesser extent) that prefer women only as housewives.
Currently, 44 companies in the country make internal changes to be certified on “Gender Equality”, which would balance the numbers of men and women in its fullest sense. This is an initiative promoted by INAMU.