Overcoming the gender gap during the economic crisis: Strategies for women working in an organisation
The global economic crisis associated with the pandemic has increased the gender gap index. It indicates an increase in gender inequality and, consequently, gender assimilation in society. In Russia, the number of educated, qualified, healthy, working women is much higher than men. Despite this fact, Russia’s women face unequal wage distribution and the income gap. They rarely reach managerial positions; they are not represented at top management level; they are excluded from political life. The aim of the research was to identify and analyse gender-related strategies of career development used by Russian women as a way to reduce the gender gap. The following methodological approaches were used to examine gender inequality in the organisational context: Gender in Organization, Gendered Organization, the concept of gender strategies Doing & Undoing Gender Strategies. The study confirmed that gender strategies are used to overcome the gender gap in an organisation. The study also identified and discussed the specifics of gender strategies used by Russia’s women in building their careers. Doing Gender strategy is used more often than the Undoing Gender strategy. However, the scope of Undoing Gender was much broader and more variable. Those women who used a combination of gender strategies (Doing & Undoing Gender) rated themselves as “strong players”. Unlike those who used only one of the strategies, “strong players” emphasised high subjective satisfaction with their lives (having a family and children) and highlighted a successful career path. The combination of gender strategies can contribute to the most effective career advancement of women and to overcoming the gender gap in an organisation.