“Women in the Workplace Are Just Waiting to Get Married”
And other ridiculous stereotypes about women who work
When I interview people for jobs today, I know there are certain questions I must never ask.
These include political leanings, religious affiliations, sexual orientation, cultural background, and marital status.
The intent is to eliminate potential biases from hiring and, of course, to keep things professional. Our workplace laws and regulations in Canada protect candidates from discrimination based on factors that have nothing to do with their ability to perform the duties of the job.
Sadly, this isn’t the case everywhere in the world.
In my mid-20s, I worked for two years in Pakistan. In a patriarchal society, women’s participation in the labor force tends to be low. In 2007, women’s labor force participation in Pakistan was just 19.7%.
I was 23 years old, a recent college graduate, and applying for jobs in financial services. I gave several interviews in the hopes of finding the right fit. Most of them were very positive. Banks were looking for young, ambitious, motivated women to mold. And yet, there was always an undercurrent — an awareness of my femininity, an…
