Abstract
Despite efforts to create inclusive workplaces for women, they are still not well-represented and integrated into the workforce. To understand how and why women’s participation is hampered in the organization, we examined their lived experiences. We undertook focus group discussions to explore how both women and men experienced and understood women-centric or women-limiting organizational practices and policies. Employing thematic analysis, we found that organizations assume employees, both men and women, as separate family-less entities, overlooking their societal realities. We highlight that if organizations do not provide flexibility to the men to support women outside of work, women will still be overburdened, burnt out, and inclined to drop out. We underline that the assumption of the gendered organization itself has implications for women’s participation and growth. Organizations must create policies and practices that consider the family as a unit to develop a more inclusive and supportive workplace for women.