EEOC Issues Report on Women in the Federal Workforce

The EEOC has issued the EEOC Women's Work Group Report addressing major obstacles hindering equal opportunities for women in the federal workforce. The report, prepared by an internal agency work group, is based on in-depth research and widespread consultations with key stakeholder groups representing working women, as well as other affinity organizations.

Following are the six obstacles identified in the EEOC Women's Work Group Report:

• Inflexible workplace policies create challenges for women with caregiver obligations in the federal workforce.
• Higher-level and management positions remain harder to obtain for women.
• Women are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in the federal workforce.
• Women and men do not earn the same average salary in the federal government.
• Unconscious gender biases and stereotypical perceptions about women still play an important role in employment decisions in the federal sector.
• There is a perception that federal agencies lack commitment to achieving equal opportunities for women in the federal workplace.

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