1.Introduction

With the huge population growth in decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of college graduates planning to sit for the civil service test and start businesses in contemporary China. Due to the change in people’s opinions about women’s role in society, more and more women began to be a member of the workforce and join in the fierce competition that used to be occupied by men.

Throughout the job search process, individuals want to discover perfect organizations and obtain offers, so everyone makes the best effort they can. Males and females face different challenges, however. Even though they have the same qualifications and skills listed on their resumes, some female students complain that they were treated unfairly compared to male students based on interview results. On the Internet, it is not hard to browse some comments of unfair treatment when finding jobs from many female students, some of whom are seeking internships, and others are already preparing for job hunting. It is clear that such an issue frequently arises, and there seem to be a few reasons that make bosses hesitant to hire female employees.

Women have historically faced discrimination in the workplace, with many employers preferring to hire men over women, regardless of their qualifications or abilities. This discrimination can take many forms, including unequal pay, limited career opportunities, and even harassment or violence. By protecting women’s rights during the job application process, it is able to address these inequalities and ensure that women are given a fair chance to compete for jobs on an equal footing with men. Women have the same right to work and earn a living as men, and denying them this right based on their gender is a violation of their fundamental human rights. A diverse workforce is more innovative and productive and is better able to solve complex problems than homogeneous ones. To ensure that women are given equal opportunities to apply for and secure jobs, creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace that benefits everyone is crucial.

Paying attention to women’s situations can help to ensure that these rights are upheld and that women are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Moreover, it is essential to create a more just and equitable society. When women are able to work and earn a living, they are better able to support themselves and their families and are less likely to be dependent on others for their basic needs. This independence and self-sufficiency not only benefit women themselves but also contribute to the overall well-being of society as a whole.

Despite significant progress in recent years, there is still a long way to go to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men, particularly in the workplace. Although the reality is cruel, directly facing the problems is a prerequisite and will help to find possible solutions. The essay will use a literature study and survey data analysis to primarily discuss women’s dilemmas when applying for jobs to respond to these questions.

2.Reasons Why the Phenomenon Exists

2.1.Stereotypes

Women are perpetually influenced by stereotypes, which in turn leads to unfair treatment in finding jobs and in the workplace. Women are taught to be conservative, selfless and devoted, becoming an appendage of her husband for thousands of years. There is a saying, “Man is in charge of the outside affairs.” In a family, only the man has the opportunity to pursue his own goals, career and dreams and have a grasp of purse strings, while women could merely stay at home doing household chores. In a girl’s childhood, she is also told that girls cannot study mathematics or physics well, unlike boys; or even though a girl with a remarkable performance at school won’t keep that state till the last end and finally lag behind. Under this circumstance, it is difficult to say that girls will still hold on their thoughts determinedly and be confident instead of being influenced. This influence can lead to women being less confident in pursuing their careers and facing challenges, afraid to express themselves for opportunities, and thus being treated in a seemingly unfair manner.

From the sociallevel, the feudal old society concept of discrimination against women, through the socialization of gender inequality into a social subconscious, show certain stability and group characteristics embedded in people’s psychological structure, making women accept the discriminatory secondary status or subordinate role positioning, at the same time unequal gender role specification also strengthened the rationality of male dominant female ideology. Today, these discriminatory concepts of gender inequality still affect society’s correct understanding of women’ s values and the fair evaluation of women’s abilities. As a result, there may be a tendency for employers to treat women less favourably when it comes to corporate recruitment, leading to more difficulties and challenges for women in finding jobs and in the workplace.

To illustrate, women’s perception of gender inequality influences employment decisions through individual psychological identification. Parsons (Talcott Parsons) believes that identity mechanisms are the key to understanding society, culture, and the social actions of individuals in a certain relationship.”Self-identity” is the most important adaptive feature of an individual, which originates from the connection with the external society. It is originally the internalization of the attitudes, customs and behaviors of the important others (mainly refers to the father and the mother) [1]. Thus, stereotype plays an important role in shaping women’s mind, unconsciously forcing them to become socially accepted “ideal” women. This identity of “ideal” women has been socially constructed for a long time and has become a driver of resistance and injustice in women’s career choices and employment.

2.2.Men-dominated Society

The following question rises: what is the cause of such social norm formation? The deepest root can be the whole society dominated by men, from ancient times to now. Gender inequality is a pervasive issue that has affected society for centuries. Women, in particular, have been historically subjected to discrimination and marginalization in various aspects of life, including education and employment. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years, women still face significant obstacles in finding jobs and advancing in their careers, mainly due to societal structures dominated by men.

Men’s recognition of male power thought (men in the family having sufficient decision-making power) is an important factor affecting women’s participation in employment. According to the International Community Survey (ISSP), if men recognize the status of men as the family supplier, it is generally considered that the completion of the family responsibility; Antecol indicates that if the man holds on the woman in the employment, the more positive the willingness to participate in employment will be greatly increased [2]. This suggests that men enhance their employment intentions by providing for their families and controlling their wives, while correspondingly, women are the controlled ones in the family, which shows men take most of the right of speech in the family, which controls their wives’ fate of staying at home or going out to find jobs.

The gender gap in employment is primarily lead by the patriarchal system, which often favors men in both the public and private sectors. Many companies have long-standing traditions of male domination, with men holding senior positions and serving as decision-makers. This creates an inherent bias that results in women being overlooked for promotions or not being considered for certain roles altogether [3]. Moreover, as mentioned, stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society, which makes women often depicted as weak, emotional, and lacking in leadership skills. Such biases lead to discriminatory hiring practices, where women are not given equal opportunities to compete for high-level positions. Furthermore, societal expectations surrounding gender roles often place women in caregiving roles, such as raising children or looking after the elderly. These are roles that have long been considered to be female duties in a male-dominated society, which can be demanding and time-consuming, leaving little time for women to pursue their careers fully. This often forces women to choose between their family responsibilities and their professional aspirations [4].

Meanwhile, the lack of gender diversity in leadership positions perpetuates the gender gap in employment. Men tend to hire other men, creating a cycle of male-dominated leadership that can be challenging for women to break through [5]. Additionally, many workplaces are structured in ways that are not conducive to women’ s success, such as long work hours, limited parental leave, and inflexible schedules.

The society is dominated by men, making it difficult for women to find jobs and advance in their careers. Patriarchal systems, gender stereotypes, societal expectations, and lack of diversity in leadership positions all contribute to the gender gap in employment [6]. Addressing these issues will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including governments, employers, and individuals, to create a more equitable and inclusive society. To figure out how common the problem is among women, there is a survey conducted and the sample are Chinese female graduates from college.

2.3.Tables

Table 1: Whether women will receive unfair treatment compared to men when seeking jobs.

Table 2 Job types that survey takers used to apply for.

Table 3 What causes leaders unwilling to hire women employers?

In Table 1, 100% of the participants asserted that they received unfair treatment. It is obvious that all takers were treated unfairly, including majors ranging in three main types, science and engineering, liberal arts, and social sciences (Table 2). Gender discrimination and Consideration for women’s marriage and birth are considered to be two prime reasons (Table 3).

3.Existing Policies and Resolutions

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the employment policy to protect women has been divided into two types: workplace entry policy and workplace development policy [7].

The first is the equal workplace entry policy. Its main purpose is to stipulate that women have the same right as men to enter the workplace, that units of choose and employ persons must not refuse to accept female workers because of gender factors, that units of choose and employ persons must not raise the employment standard of female workers, and that units of choose and employ persons must not restrict female workers from getting married, having children, and other content when signing employment contracts. Although there are already relevant policies in place, some of them may not be implemented by companies due to the time frame, so it is necessary to revise the existing policies and develop new ones according to the current situation.

The second aspect is the career development and protection policies. It mainly involves the career development and career protection of women after entering the workplace. Among them, the career development policy mainly provides for the vertical and horizontal isolation of men and women, equal pay for equal work for men and women, equality between men and women in the evaluation of professional titles, and the training and selection of female cadres. At the same time, it stipulates the basic rights of women, such as maternity leave and exemption from sexual harassment in the workplace, and enterprises shall not terminate their labor contracts for women during pregnancy, maternity leave and lactation, and protect the labor rights and employment rights of women during the birth period [8]. Despite the fact that the above policies are written into the law, it is clear that they are not being implemented, and that companies may be hesitant to hire women in order to avoid their responsibilities due to the additional burden they may place on them. As a result, the law should not only be urged to be implemented but also supported by the government in a way that does not impose additional burdens on businesses while also protecting women’s equal rights in the workplace.

Besides, flexibility in the workplace is another critical strategy that can help women overcome the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities. Employers could offer flexible working arrangements, such as part-time work or job-sharing, and provide paid parental leave. This would help women manage their family responsibilities and allow them to maintain their career progression [9]. There are already companies that carry out such measures, but they need to be further promoted. Moreover, education and awareness-raising campaigns can also play an important role in combating gender inequality in the job market. The campaigns should focus on promoting gender equality, challenging gender stereotypes, and educating people about the benefits of gender diversity in the workplace. Finally, policymakers can also further play a critical role in addressing gender inequality in the job market. As noted above, they should revise and enact laws that are consistent with the status quo to ensure pay equity between men and women, fund programs that support women’s employment, and develop policies that enable women to balance work and family responsibilities [10].

4.Conclusions

In summary, it is clear that long-standing stereotypes and patriarchal societies make it difficult and challenging for women to choose careers and employment. The problem is complex and cannot be solved by women’s own efforts alone. In short, it requires multiple efforts. From a business perspective, there is a need to recognize the advantages of a gender-diverse workplace and implement female-friendly employment practices, and from a policymaker perspective, there is a need to revise existing laws and regulations further to promote gender equality.

This paper integrates existing literature and data, analyzes the causes of the current quandaries women face in job search and employment, and makes recommendations based on existing relevant measures. Although it is still shallow, it attempts to promote gender equality. It is suggested that future scholars conduct more in-depth research and develop detailed and feasible guidelines to achieve gender equality.