“We have many extremely competent women who end up not being seen”  : A Case-Study of Gender Equality Perception in a Norwegian Company in Brazil

Sammanfattning:

This thesis examines the perception of gender equality in a Norwegian company in Brazil. It explores the possibility of double-standards regarding gender equality values in global organizations. Norway and Brazil have very distant positions in the gender inequality indexes, with Brazil demonstrating much higher inequality. This study compares rights and legislation for workers in both countries, and seeks to understand the perception of the workers of the headquarters in Brazil on the issue in their environment. It  uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, through the use of a questionnaire and an analysis of the company’s public material, to determine both employees’ perceptions on gender equality in the company and the choices of the company in its communication (images and language). The findings are then analysed using the theory of Inequality Regimes, developed by Joan Acker, as well as studies of masculinities, harassment and tokenism. The thesis concludes with a reflection upon the impact of the lack of gender competence on the part of leaders, and of a lack of awareness of discrimination on the part of employees as a whole, demonstrating a clear difference in perceptions between male and female employees.