Happy International Women's Day!
On this 8th of March 2024, as we mark International Women's Day, it's a momentous occasion to celebrate the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions of women worldwide. Today, we honour the resilience, strength and unwavering spirit of women from all walks of life, who have played pivotal roles in shaping our societies, economies and cultures, as we know then today. It's a time to recognise and applaud women's accomplishments, both past and present, while also acknowledging the ongoing journey towards gender equality and empowerment.
As we commemorate International Women's Day, let us stand in solidarity with women everywhere, amplifying their voices, championing their rights and working together towards a future where every woman has the opportunity to thrive and fulfil her potential.
On International Women's Day, as we honour the achievements of women in the workplace, it's essential to acknowledge the historical context of women's journey. Throughout history, women have faced numerous restrictions and lack of rights that have hindered their ability to fully participate in society and the workforce. Some of these include:
- Limited Access to Education:
Historically, many societies restricted or outright denied women's access to education, believing that their primary role was in the home. This lack of education limited women's opportunities for professional advancement and economic independence.
- Legal and Political Disenfranchisement:
Women were often excluded from participating in political and legal processes, such as voting, holding public office or serving on juries. This disenfranchisement deprived them of a voice in decision-making and limited their ability to advocate for their rights.
- Property Rights:
In many cultures, women had limited or no rights to own or inherit property. Instead, property rights were often reserved for men, leaving women economically dependent on their male relatives or spouses.
- Employment Discrimination:
Women faced widespread discrimination in the workforce, including lower wages, limited job opportunities, and exclusion from certain professions. Many employers believed that women were less capable or committed workers, leading to unequal treatment and fewer advancement opportunities.
- Lack of Legal Protections:
Women had little recourse against discrimination, harassment, or abuse in the workplace due to the lack of legal protections. Without legal safeguards, women were often subjected to exploitation and mistreatment by employers and colleagues.
- Social Expectations and Gender Roles:
Society enforced strict gender roles, expecting women to prioritise caregiving and homemaking over professional pursuits. These societal expectations limited women's autonomy and discouraged them from pursuing careers outside the home.
Overall, these historical restrictions and lack of rights perpetuated systemic inequalities that continue to impact women's lives today. While progress has been made in addressing these issues, ongoing efforts are needed to achieve true gender equality and ensure that women have equal rights and opportunities in all aspects of society.
Despite legal protections and societal advances, women globally continue to face substantial inequalities in the workforce, in leadership opportunities, in access to education and skills training, and in their ability to build wealth over their lifetimes. Eliminating these disparities is not just a matter of fairness and dignity, but an economic imperative if we want a productive and prosperous world.
More progress is still needed - particularly when it comes to achieving equal pay for equal work.
The principle of equal pay for women and men doing work of equal value is enshrined in British law through the Equality Act 2010 and European Union laws. However, despite these legal protections, the gender pay gap persists, with women still earning less than men on average across most industries and at all levels.
According to the Equal Pay provisions in the Equality Act, a woman doing equal work as a man in the same employment is entitled to equality in pay and contractual terms like bonuses, holiday pay, overtime rates and pensions. Where there is equal work, the law automatically modifies a woman's contract to ensure her pay and terms match her male counterparts, unless the employer can justify the difference based on factors unrelated to gender.
The law recognizes three ways to establish "equal work":
- "Like work" where the woman and man perform the same or broadly similar jobs
- "Work rated as equivalent" by a valid, non-discriminatory job evaluation study
- "Work of equal value" requiring similar skill, effort and decision-making
Women can select a higher paid comparator doing equal work at the same workplace, or at a different location if common pay practices apply across sites. In limited cases, comparators may even be from different but associated employers.
While the legal foundation for equal pay is strong, barriers still exist, including gender bias in job evaluation methods and difficulties proving "work of equal value" across different roles. Employers should regularly review pay practices, job evaluation systems and market pricing to identify and resolve any unjustified gender disparities.
The UK government has required all companies with 250 or more employees to report their gender pay gaps annually since 2017, in an effort to increase transparency.
According to the data from 2021:
- The overall median gender pay gap among full-time employees in the UK was 7.9%, little changed from 2020.
- At higher-paying companies, the pay gap widened - at companies with over 5,000 employees, the median gap was 12.9%.
- Certain sectors like construction (20.5% gap), finance (25.4%), and education (19.3%) had particularly wide gender pay gaps.
- Only around 14% of employers paid men and women equally in terms of average hourly pay in 2021.
So while progress has been made, the UK gender pay gap data shows there are still significant gender-based pay disparities that need to be addressed through measures like pay audits, workplace policies, and leadership accountability - especially at higher levels and in certain male-dominated industries.
The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a major setback in the battle for equality. The Global Gender Gap Report 2022 found that progress on closing gender gaps in labour force participation has reversed, with the global gender parity score for this metric falling to just 62.9% - the lowest level recorded since monitoring began.
A major driver of this workforce imbalance is women taking on a significantly higher share of unpaid care responsibilities when workplaces and schools closed. Even prior to COVID, men's share of unpaid work amounted to only 19% of their total work time, compared to a staggering 55% for women. During the pandemic, the disparities grew more pronounced as childcare facilities shut down.
The impacts have been severe, with women's unemployment rate lingering higher than men's. When women do remain in the workforce, they face systemic barriers to advancement into leadership and higher-paying roles. Globally, just 31% of leadership positions across industries were held by women in 2022 based on LinkedIn data. While the representation of women hired into leadership grew from 33.3% in 2016 to 36.9% in 2022, progress stalled in 2020 during the pandemic's peak disruptions.
The underrepresentation is most extreme in certain male-dominated sectors like Energy (20% women leaders), Manufacturing (19%), and Infrastructure (16%). In contrast, Education (46%), NGOs (47%), and Personal Services (45%) had more women leaders. Perhaps unsurprisingly, industries that hired more women into leadership tended to be those where women already represented a larger share of the workforce overall.
However, even in sectors with relatively high numbers of women, there remains a persistent leadership gap compared to their overall presence. In Personal Services for instance, women make up 62% of the workforce but only 45% of leaders. Real Estate and Healthcare display similar 15-16 percentage point differentials between female workforce representation and leadership roles.
Part of the challenge is that when women do attain leadership positions, they are less likely to demonstrate the same types of highly valued skills as men on their profiles. According to LinkedIn data, women leaders showcase more "human" skills like resilience, communication and initiative. In contrast, their male counterparts prominently featured more technical skills like technology design, mathematical skills and disruptive technology capabilities.
The biases and stereotypes that disfavour women's career progression appear to start from the very beginnings of their professional journeys. Gender gaps in education and skills development for high-demand fields like STEM present a systemic barrier. Even as women have reached parity or majority status at universities worldwide, they remain significantly underrepresented in STEM degree
On International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women fighting for fair, equal treatment in the workplace. But the battle is far from over. At our HR consultancy, we are committed to empowering women to understand and exercise their rights to equal pay for equal work.
Women deserve to work securely and succeed unimpeded by unfair barriers, whether physical or attitudinal. In such challenging times, Your HR Friend extends a steadfast hand as a confidante and ally.
We stands ready to offer bespoke counsel, guiding women on the meticulous documentation and construction of compelling cases. With our tailored coaching, women can navigate the intricate nuances of the situation, secure in the knowledge that their rights will be safeguarded at every turn.
Are you a woman battling inequality in pay or sex discrimination? Solitude need not be your companion in this journey. Allow us to redress the balance, to be the force that levels the playing field on your behalf. We understand the profound importance of feeling respected and valued in the workplace and we are steadfast in our commitment to making it a reality for you.
Take that crucial first step by initiating contact with Your HR Friend – your unwavering companion in the labyrinth of workplace intricacies. Do not miss out on our free introductory consultation, our regular discount offers or contemplate the unparalleled value of our one-year subscription, ensuring continual support and empowerment.
International Women's Day