里希纳·雷迪

An interesting survey among the top corporate giants around the world confirms that women in the workplace have proved their stupendous presence in almost every industry and in huge numbers. They are strong， smart， technically competent and emotionally valiant in comparison to their male counterparts. As such they are rightly called as the new age corporate women. But despite achieving such huge laurels， women still face many obstacles in their workplace.

Gender bias and sexual harassment are not just what we are talking about but there are few more issues that are big hurdles for women to grow high up in the corporate scene.

Men versus women issues

Men and women are always two sides of the same coin. Each one of them has their unique charisma and each one thinks and handles the situation differently. But it is still a shame that irrespective of being equally talented there is always discrimination in the eyes of the beholder. In corporate environments， where people of both genders participate in all activities with equal vigor and enthusiasm such vague differentiation is the biggest challenge for a woman.

One must understand that a working woman loves your concern but not your sympathy. She wishes to be recognized with her talent and not her gender.

Gender bias

Gender bias is another challenge that many women experience at their workplace. Though we can say that corporate offices are bridging the gender gap slowly， private institutions and government offices are still way far behind. Jobs that require frequent travel， physical exertion etc. are still open for men only as they are considered more eligible than women. Many companies while hiring women employees ask them openly about their marriage and further family planning as they cannot afford the maternity leaves and other flexibility perks.

One must understand that women are blessed with the opportunity to bring another soul into this world and this factor must not be a hindrance for their growth and progress.

Sexual harassment

One of the most shameful and heart-wrenching challenges that women face in the working environment is the kinds of sexual abuse she is exposed to. Mostly women fall prey to cunning men who lure them on the pretext of love and sexually harass them. Many men have the notion that working women are compromising in nature which is the foundation for such vicious deeds.

Women who stand up for their self-respect do not fail to voice out their difficulties but naive and fretful women still need to be fed with courage and must be taught to fight back against these vengeful men and show them their place.

Work-life imbalance

Another most noticeable challenge that women of today face at the workplace is the work-life imbalance. Differentiating personal life and professional career becomes a little hard for women in general. They tend to mix up work commitments with personal priorities and thats when all the issue starts.

The family feels neglected， friends feel lost and unfortunately， she has to face the wrath of her entire support system just because she has forgotten to draw the line between work and life. This challenge is mostly self-imposed and to get out of this mess， the woman has to help herself.

She needs to set her priorities right and plan her day well ahead. If she has to attend a family event and she is asked to attend a corporate dinner which is unplanned according to her， she needs to gather courage and politely refuse the latter as she has committed to her family. All she needs to manage is time and effort then everything falls in place.

Maternity leaves

Growing from a woman to a mother brings about a lot of changes in anyone. She learns to nurture a small being inside her. But does anyone perceive what all changes and challenges she is about to face at the workplace before and after the baby is born？

Handling mood swings and morning sicknesses without showing a slightest discomfort， traveling to and fro with her baby belly， avoiding office parties and late-night meetings as her health may take a toll， listening to her bosss taunts as she constantly applies checkup leaves， maternity leaves etc. are simply too hard for a pregnant woman.

Most of the firms have maternity leave policies where maternity leaves are granted for the first two babies which is appreciable. But once the lady resumes office post her maternity break， she may be in for surprise as her role would no more be the same. She may have to begin from beginning all over again. To bridge this gap and ease the challenge， corporate firms have now included flexibility policies for women who resume their career post-maternity breaks.

Lack of role models

Women have time and again proved their capabilities in the work front but still， the top cream layer is mostly occupied by men. The challenge here is female leaders are many but role models are few. When women look up to men for guidance and mentorship they feel they are disconnected and disoriented as there is a great difference in their objectivity and style of communication.

But this challenge is slowly minimizing as more and more women are entering as managers， politicians， presidents， CEOs and in the next few years to come， there will be more leaders who will turn role models for the generations to follow.

Power play

Many women leaders have stated vehemently that it took them a lot of time and plenty of courage to survive the power play politics and reach their current position in their workplace.

Driven by emotion and instinct， for women surviving office politics is one of the toughest challenges as it can hurt her inner soul and disturb her mental peace. Rather than falling prey to this false ego， able leaders should encourage healthy comradeship among fellow employees be it， man or woman.

Also， practicing the art of treating criticism as a feedback mechanism is the best way to tackle this challenge on the work front.

Ego clashes

Adam was the first human being in this world and then came Eve. Men always try to prove their superiority while at work. An alpha male will feel his ego is crushed when he has to report to a woman manager. Howsoever the lady is kind to him， he will try to find faults against her approach or mode of work etc. Women who are at a higher rank face this challenge while interacting with their peers， subordinates， and superiors.

Out of the three， handling her peers is the toughest job for a woman as she needs to imbibe special communication skills. The emotionally weak men need agony aunts or 3 AM friends to vent out and rant while women can keep any amount of agony and pain within them and yet smile gracefully. Working women need to encash this ability of hers to persuade and win the trust of her peers and this will definitely help her to befriend her colleague and turn the ego clash into nothing.

Restroom gossips

An office without gossipmongers is like a cake without icing. Tea breaks， lunchtime， restroom meetings are the venue and time when gossips are created and spread across. When a woman reaches a respectable position in her work there is always plenty of speculation about her journey to that position. Some comment on her ability while some comment about her friendly attitude.

All you will need to do is not to reciprocate any hard feelings. Women should know to face and win over this emotional challenge in her stride. In a world where good and bad co-exists， women must grow their emotional quotient and let their work speak for them instead of engaging in verbal battles.

Security

Last but not least the most threatening challenge for women at the workplace is their security. With more and more cases of physical assault and abuse being reported in dailies and news channels， women need to learn the art of self-defense for their security.

Many organizations have employed special security services for helping their women employees to get back home at late night. Not just working women but every girl should always be prepared to face the wrath of uncivilized men and hence must equip themselves with defense mechanisms and face their challenge with oozing self-confidence.

一项针对全球顶级企业巨头的有趣调查证实，几乎各个行业的职场女性都有突出表现，而且人数众多。与男性同行相比，她们坚强、聪明、工作能力超强、待人处事果敢。因此，称她们为“新时代的企业女性”恰如其分。但是，尽管获得了这样巨大的荣誉，女性在职场中仍然面临许多阻碍。

我们所讨论的不仅仅是性别歧视和性骚扰，在职场晋升中，女性还会遇到另外一些巨大的阻碍。

男女对比问题

一直以来，男人和女人就是一枚硬币的两个面。他们各自拥有独特的魅力，有不同的想法，处理问题的方式也有差异。但令人遗憾的是，不管男女是否拥有同样的才能，在旁人眼中总是有区别的。在企业环境中，男女都以同样的精力和热情参与所有的活动，这种模糊的区别对待就是女性面临的最大挑战。

人们必须明白，一位职场女性需要的是关心，而非同情。她渴望人们认可她的才华，而不是她的性别。

性别歧视

性别歧视是许多女性在职场遭遇的另一挑战。虽说可以看到，企業正在慢慢缩小性别差距，但私人机构和政府部门做得还远远不够。那些需要经常出差、耗费体力的工作仍然只对男性开放，因为人们认为男性比女性更符合要求。许多公司在雇用女性员工时，会公开询问她们的婚姻状况和未来的生育计划，因为公司负担不起产假和其他弹性津贴。

人们必须明白，女性享有将另一个生命带到这个世界的权利，这一因素不应该成为她们成长和进步的阻碍。

性骚扰

女性在职场中所面临的最可耻、最痛心的挑战，是她们所遭受的各种性侵犯。很多时候，女性会沦为狡猾男性的猎物，这些男性以爱为借口引诱她们，并对她们实施性骚扰。许多男性认为，职场女性在本质上是妥协的，正是这一想法滋生了这种恶劣的行径。

敢于挺身维护自我尊严的女性会说出自己的困难，但轻信他人的苦闷女性仍然需要有人给她们打气，必须有人教她们反击那些记仇的男性，并向他们表明自己的立场。

无法平衡工作与生活

当今职场女性面临的另一个严峻挑战是无法平衡工作与生活。区分个人生活和职业生涯对女性来说通常有点儿困难。她们往往会把工作责任和私人要事混为一谈，这时候问题就出现了。

家人觉得被忽视，朋友感到失落。很不幸，只是因为忘了把工作和生活划分清楚，她就不得不面对后援团的集体愤怒。这一挑战大多是强加给自己的，要摆脱这种混乱，女性必须自助。

她需要分清轻重缓急，提前做好一天的计划。如果必须参加一个家庭活动，又获邀参加一个计划外的企业晚宴，那她就需要鼓起勇气，礼貌拒绝后者，因为她已经承诺了她的家人。她需要做的就是安排好时间和精力，之后一切便水到渠成。

产假

从女人成长为母亲，任何女性都会经历很多变化。她要学会在自己的体内孕育小生命。可是，有没有人察觉到，在孩子出生前后，女性在职场将要面对的所有变化和挑战？

她要应对情绪波动和孕期晨吐，却不能表现出丝毫不适;她要怀着胎儿来回奔波;她要谢绝办公室聚会和深夜会议，因为健康可能受损;她要忍受老板的奚落，因为需要不时申请体检、产假等——这些对孕妇来说简直太难了。

大多数公司有产假政策，女职员生育头两胎可以享受产假，此举意义重大。可休完产假重返岗位时，她可能会大吃一惊，因为职位不再相同，她可能不得不从头再来。为了弥合这一差距，缓和这个问题，公司现在为产后重返职场的女性制定了弹性政策。

缺少榜样

女性一次又一次证明了她们的工作能力，但高层岗位主要还是由男性占领。这里所说的挑战是，虽然女性领导者众多，但是榜样很少。当女性寻求男性的指导时，她们会觉得格格不入、找不到方向，因为男女的客观性和沟通方式大相径庭。

然而，随着越来越多的女性迈入经理、政治家、总裁和首席执行官的行列，这一难题正慢慢得到解决。未来几年，将会有更多的女性领导者为后人树立榜样。

争权夺利

许多女性领导者激动地表示，她们耗费了大量时间，鼓足了勇气，才在职场的权术斗争中生存下来，达到目前的地位。

受情感和本能的驱使，对女性来说，在办公室政治中生存下来是最艰难的一大挑战，因为这可能伤害她的内心世界，扰乱她的精神安宁。有能力的领导者不该沦为这种虚伪自我的牺牲品，而应鼓励员工间无论男女建立健康的同志关系。

此外，应对这一职场挑战的最佳方式是，将提出批评当作一种反馈机制。

自尊冲突

亚当是世上产生的第一个人，然后才有了夏娃。男性在工作中总是试图证明他们的优越。当一个大男人不得不向一位女经理汇报工作时，他会感到自尊心受到打击。无论这位女士对他多么亲切，他都会试图找出她在工作方法或模式等方面的问题。职位较高的女性在与同事、下属和上司交流时都会面临这种挑战。

对女性而言，这三者中最难处理的是同事关系，因为需要借鉴一些特殊的沟通技巧。情感脆弱的男性需要知心姐姐或者凌晨3点也能倾诉的朋友来发泄和抱怨，而女性能将任何程度的创伤和痛苦埋在心里，同时保持优雅的微笑。职场女性需要运用这种能力说服同事，赢得他们的信任，这也无疑有助于她和同事成为朋友，化自尊冲突为乌有。

厕所八卦

办公室没有八卦人士，犹如蛋糕没有糖衣。茶歇、午餐、厕所相遇都是传播流言蜚语的好时机。当一位女性在工作中升至体面的职位时，人们总会对她的升职过程有诸多猜疑。有人议论她的能力，还有人议论她友善的态度。

你要做的就是不以任何负面情绪去回应。女性应该知道如何从容面对并战胜这种情感上的挑战。在善恶并存的世界里，女性必须提高情商，让工作为自己代言，而不是卷入口舌之争。

人身安全

最后一点也很重要，职场女性面临的最具威胁的挑战是自身的安全问题。每天的报纸和电视新闻报道了越来越多的身体攻击和虐待案件，女性需要学会自卫，以保证自己的安全。

许多机构为深夜下班回家的女员工提供特别安全服务。不仅是职业女性，每个女孩都应该时刻准备好面对粗暴无礼的男人。因此，女性必须有自己的防御方式，以十足的自信迎接挑战。                               □

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）