By - Dr. Asangba Tzudir
Discrimination can be generally understood as the unfair treatment of people based on certain characteristics which are defined and which manifests in various forms like exclusion, restriction or preference leading to denial of equal rights and opportunities. More prominent themes surrounding discrimination are based on sex and gender. One of the most prominent spaces where discrimination exists is the workplace which comes to undermine issues of fairness and equality and which ultimately affects productivity and outcomes of the institution and the effects it has on the discriminated individual in different ways which ultimately has a negative bearing on their mental health.
From unequal pay between genders for the same role to bias against women in promotions, leadership opportunities, or maternity related issues, harassment in various forms, stereotyping and looking down on some people based on their looks and features, sexual orientation, clashes of religious beliefs, exclusion, prejudice against senior employees regarding inefficiency, adaptability or productivity, taking undue advantage and exploitation of junior’s innocence or obedience or being forced to agree and obey, all these and more adds to the larger brunt on the institution and mainly on the individual selves which often goes unseen and unknown to the others. Everyone has feelings but the irony of feelings is such that the difficulty lies in understanding each other’s feelings.
Such forms of discrimination directly contribute to lowering the morale of the victimized individual causing different mental health issues, and which leads to reduced productivity of the individual and therefore the overall workplace performance. While it may be caused through unconscious bias or various existing stereotypes, or lack of inclusive workplace policies and training, or because of ineffective leadership or where complaints may not be addressed, it underscores the need to understand each other’s feelings and calls upon the individual selves to be more sensitive which then will have a lot of holistic and inclusive bearing on structural changes and institutional policy framework.
Like the evolving understanding of gender and gendering of individual selves and spaces, even the very concept of discrimination is not only evolving but becoming more complex made more pronounced by things that are ‘written’ and ‘spoken’ and those which are often ‘unspeakable’ and ‘unsay-able’ and thereby the need to better understand human feelings and emotions. There are everyday life experiences from different workplaces that informs on the need to be sensitive towards people’s emotions and feelings and which is critical to create an environment of justice, equality and fairness and work.
On the whole, institutions needs to have a strong supporting framework in order to iron out workplace discrimination and this requires a proactive, transparent, and sustained effort towards fostering a fair and inclusive environment. This process of erasing workplace discrimination can begin by seeing each other as an equal human irrespective of whatever temporal earthly differences and distinctions exist. The ‘temporalities’ and the ‘end’ are reasons enough for anyone to be humble. Above all, it also invokes upon the moral ‘will’ and the moral ‘selves’ to speak the uncomfortable truths openly.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir writes guest editorials for the Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
