If you look around your organization, chances are that the majority of your coworkers are women. In fact, the Canadian Policy Research Network tells us that 74.3% of nonprofit employees are female (compared to 47.5% of the total workforce in the for-profit sector). This statistic might not come as a surprise to anyone working for a nonprofit, but what it means for the sector is a question that remains relatively unexplored.
How did we get here? What draws women to the sector?
“I think women are naturally drawn to this sector because they care about issues, they are emotional and passionate. They have a desire to make the world a better place,” says Gilda Good, executive director at The Centre for Nonprofit Management. “I know that’s why I was drawn. I’ve never really found it work. I’ve always found it a continuation of my belief system. I think that’s why a lot of women are drawn to the sector; it’s a continuation of what we do very naturally.” Good might be onto something, considering that the majority of the nonprofit sector is associated with caregiving and helping and has its roots in community volunteering – activities that were traditionally labeled as ‘women’s work’.
While women may be drawn to a ‘helping profession’, it can mean the marginalization of the sector because caretaking and helping roles were historically connected to unpaid work. Therefore, these activities are often not deemed to be as valuable as paid work. “When there was far less labour force participation by women, women did most of the caregiving in the community – hospital aid, visiting the sick, childcare,” explains Sharon Manson Singer, a social economist and adjunct professor at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Public Sector Studies. “There’s an historical precedence and a gender divide in terms of the association with caretaking roles.”
Still undervalued today
“I’m really concerned that we are still not taken seriously enough, that we are so terribly undervalued,” remarks Good. She recalls speaking to an assistant deputy minister who was responsible for working with the most (non-health) community-based organizations of any ministry in British Columbia. “He talked about the ‘volunteer sector’, and I thought, ‘Wow! Here’s someone dealing with the sector who doesn’t even know [its] proper name. What does that mean?’ That’s what I worry about, really.” To encourage other sectors to value the nonprofit sector and its employees, Good advocates for the professionalization of organizations and making a much better economic case for the nonprofit sector’s contribution to society.
A supportive work environment
Nadia Lauzon bucks the notion that women are simply drawn to the nonprofit sector because it is a caring profession. She is the project coordinator at Service d’entraide communitaire pour les personnes aînées francophones, and for her, the nonprofit sector is the place where the jobs happen to be. That’s why she came to the sector, but she is staying because she enjoys the environment. Lauzon notes the flexibility, balance, and independence that the nonprofit sector provides. Plus, she has found a very supportive environment within her current organization, which employs ten staff, eight of whom are female. “People understand each other and support each individual’s needs. It’s not just that it’s mostly female, but it’s also mostly women of the same age and stage in life.”
A unique perspective on conflict management
There is the potential for conflict in any workplace, but what happens in an organization that is made up predominantly of women, and potentially women of a similar age? Tracy Douglass is a human resources consultant specializing in conflict resolution practices. She recently wrote a CharityVillage.com research article focused on how to manage conflict in female-dominated workplaces. Says Douglass, “When I wrote the article I intended to provide women with the knowledge of general female tendencies so they could work better together. If a culture shaped by women has a tendency to be supportive and nurturing, then with the benefits of this type of culture are challenges as well – most likely a tendency towards cooperative decision-making, maybe going so far as to maintain the status quo for fear of rejection or criticism by coworkers.”
Taking the focus off the gender divide
A female-dominated workplace might present both benefits and challenges, but the relevancy of this point is debatable. “If I could be so bold,” asserts Manson Singer, “it’s a mistake to characterize the sector as female-dominated because it exacerbates the issues. I think that we’re going to be in trouble if we’re limiting ourselves to 50% of the population. We can’t afford to look at ourselves as a female sector.” Manson Singer firmly believes that the nonprofit sector needs to make itself more attractive to both men and women. Both, she argues, are looking for a decent family life, good work life, opportunity for advancement, and the opportunity to make a difference.
By marketing the sector – telling people they will be involved in meaningful work and creating human decency – then the sector will attract new employees. As Manson Singer points out, “Decent income is important but it’s not going to be the thing that keeps people in or out of the sector. I think it’s really about a good job, and a good job defined as ‘I have control of my life. I can have meaningful work, and I can be involved in important decisions that affect the way people are going to live their lives. I can make a difference in my community.'”
Good doesn’t dwell on the gender issue either. “Frankly, I want to see the sector move forward with the best people possible. I want to see the highest standards possible in the profession.” She does consider women to be extremely well-suited for the sector but, whether male or female, what’s most important to her is that nonprofit employees are valued for the work they do, receive adequate compensation, and are well trained to move the sector forward. These are goals that will unite all nonprofit sector supporters, regardless of gender.
Louise Chatterton Luchuk is a freelance writer and consultant who combines her love of writing with experience at the local, provincial and national levels of volunteer-involving organizations. For more information, visit www.luchuk.com.
