 Gender diversity refers to the variation of genes within a species. The genetic diversity enables a population to adapt to its environment and to respond to natural selection. The amount of genetic variation is the basis of speciation.

Gender diversity means the proportion of males to females in the workplace. This can have an effect on how people interact and behave with one another in the workplace and would impact culture and social environment. IMPORTANCE OF DVERSITY:  Diversity is beneficial to both the organization and the members.  Diversity brings substantial potential benefits such as better decision making and improved problem solving, greater creativity and innovation, which leads to enhanced product development, and more successful marketing to different types of customers.  It provides organizations with the ability to compete in global markets.

 There are the following ways through which workplace can be made gender sensitive  1)COMMITTEE FOR HANDLING GENDER COMPLAINTS: Providing a safe and secure workplace to women staff, free from sexual harassment discrimination with a Gender Complaints Committee in existence to deter and prevent harassment through dissemination of information, rules and also for investigating into case of sexual harassment when they are reported and ensuring justice.

2) RELAXATION OF WORKING HOURS FOR WOMEN: Extending work related concessions and relaxation for women and depending upon the situation and requirement Eg: providing securing transport facilities when they work late hours, ensuring security measures along with basic minimum facilities for women staff while travelling in thefield.Flexible work hours for women staff and provisions for working from home under special circumstances. 3)HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT: Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of wok,leisure,health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women at workplace and no women employee should have reasonable grounds to believe that it is disadvantaged in connection with the employment.

4)ENSURING WOMEN PARTICIPATION: Strategic orientation to staff in the field based programmes and advocacy initiatives towards increasing women access,control and ownership over the natural resources processes and organization. 5) GENDER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES: Empowering women members of communities by informing them about the rights and laws and ensuring capacity building through training to inculcate the leadership qualities in them.Development programmes can be arranged for women workers to create an awareness about various rights for women in the society.

Four Steps to Increase Gender 1)Define diversity.  Diversity can mean different things to different people, so companies should establish an organization wide definition for what diversity is and how it can be improved.  The company should consider what might be missing by not carrying out hiring, development and talent retention objectives with a focus on gender diversity.  Once the need for diversity is laid out, a plan for creating, implementing and monitoring the new diversity strategy should be developed.

2)Ensure alignment.  When the definition of diversity and the need to close the gender gap are established, it’s important to ensure alignment between business requirements and talent needs across the organization.  The company should determine whether it has the resources and ability to develop the skills of existing talent or whether it needs to hire employees with the desired skills.  At this point, it is crucial that the company be prepared to manage the constructive conflict that arises when people with different perspectives and experiences enter an organization.

3)Put the plan into action.  The strategic goals developed in the first two steps should be translated into specific actions. For instance, hiring managers can benefit from training on hiring and developing talent with a diversity-focused mind-set.  Additionally, training programs should encourage managers to identify individuals who already possess, or who demonstrate the ability to develop, the practical skills needed to meet business goals. -

4)Maintain a culture of diversity.  The key to maintaining a diversity strategy is to create an environment that supports and fosters diversity.  Taking a holistic approach to diversity management and gaining an understanding of the organization’s culture and the culture it wants to have is a critical part of this process.  Taking specific steps to embed diversity in the activities of the organization is crucial. For example, employees can be rewarded for mentoring, inviting dissenting opinions, taking calculated risks and creating ways for people to collaborate.

By implementing these tips, companies will be positioned better to create a strategy for closing the gender gap, allowing them to benefit from the skills of a wide range of people with diverse backgrounds. With all of the proven advantages of having a gender- balanced workforce, companies that hire for diversity will have a competitive advantage. They will be more likely to see increased revenue and a stronger customer base as well as more likely to retain their top talent, regardless of gender -