The gender pay gap
is the difference between the rates women and men are paid for doing the same
job. It has been an issue that has been looked at by policy makers ever since
women started entering the labour market in large numbers. An organization that
has monitored this issue is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD). OECD countries have an average wage gap of 15% with the
range of 3.9% to 40%. This means that women salaries range from 60 cents to
96.1 cents for every dollar earned by men with an average of 85 cents. These
statistics are based on men and women with similar professional skills, history
and education.
Another underlying
factor that seems to worsen the situation is the fact that some life events have
a direct influence on both men and women’s careers. Women seem to bear the brunt
of the impact that marriage and having children has on a career. They get penalised
whereas their male counterparts get incentivised up to 2% by employers for the
same events.
The labour force
has had a lot of change throughout the years. Now women make up almost 50% of
the workforce and the majority of these women are the highest income earners in
their families or the only breadwinners and others even support more than one
family. Surely this more than anything else should prompt policy makers to
remedy the situation. There are currently more single income female headed
families now than ever before, and it does not look like the situation will
improve. Women should therefore earn as much as their male counterparts for
doing the same job.
It is recognised
all over the world that once you educate a woman, you educate a nation. There
has been a huge drive and focus on ensuring that the girl child receives an
excellent education and opportunities for growth and success. This is crucial
for women empowerment and towards the achievement of the Millennium
Developmental Goals. Investing in women and girls will have a powerful impact
on the any economy and will create a better world for both men and women. Governments
need to take the next step in ensuring that the gender pay gap is eliminated
through policies and legislation. Organizations that perpetuate the gender pay
gap need to be penalised. And transparency is crucial; employers need to lift
the veil of secrecy that surrounds employee salaries. Just
as public sector salaries are publicised, the same should apply to the private
sector. Governments need to realise that there will be an economic and social
cost to allowing the gap to continue.
Life events
should not be looked at by employers as just female issues. An overhaul of
policies such as maternity and parental leave policies needs to occur. There is
also a growing trend of women opting for part-time work or for working in
smaller organizations due to them wanting to put their families first. Women
should not be forced to make these sacrifices they should have the option of
continuing on their career-path without having to cut back. Employers need to
find a way of being supportive and accommodating as women often take this time
off during their most productive years. This therefore becomes a loss both to
the employer and the woman’s career. Therefore policymakers need to be more
gender focused in favour of women their policies and legislation.
By Ziyanda Xaso
Sources
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