What Is The Gender Pay Gap?

Don’t you just love phrasing. The simple difference one-word can change. As someone who studied creative writing, I found it absolutely fascinating how language has been used to change the notion of real statistics and widely affect the gender balances in different aspects of society.

Now, a lot of men, mostly those unknowingly suffering from that deep affliction of toxic masculinity, will scream out that women, BAME communities, and LGBTQ members have an easier time finding employment because of “positive discrimination”. However, the reality according to statistics is that white men have an easier time finding work, keeping their roles, and gaining promotions, compared to their counterparts.

The phrase “Gender Pay Gap” doesn’t completely capture what it is expected to imply. It shouldn’t just be about wages, as the phrase represents, because many have called out the fact that it should be illegal to pay women less than men in the same role. Which yes, it is illegal. That’s why the wording is currently “Gender Pay Gap”, when in fact it should be “Gender Employment Gap”. That simple change of words, changes what statistics are used as well as looks at the roles of women in different industries. There, we can truly see how women are being treated by a world that is meant to be filled with equality and acceptance.

A Global Gap

The current global labour force participation rate for women is currently close to 49%. This means that half of women globally do not participate in the workforce. This is down to being put into positions of being the sole provider of childcare, unable to find work, unable to access work, as well as men being favoured over women when they are below the age of 30 and above the age of 50.

Unemployed or vulnerable

Women who want to find work have a harder time than men. When women are in employment, they actually overpopulate “vulnerable jobs”. These types of jobs offer shorter hours, unpaid work, self-employed, little to no maternity help, and no access to social protections such as unions, pensions, and workplace benefits.

Workplace harassment

Across the news and social media, it is being shown that almost yearly, game development companies are having lawsuits brought against them for gender discrimination, sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. The latest to come to light is with Blizzard, the company behind World of Warcraft, where their workforce is made up of 80% men with a work environment that has been described as “Frat boy” mentality. In male dominated industries, it’s time to look at the ethics and attitudes within those industries, because the lack of women is not due to women having a lack of interest in those industries.

What can change to help women reach new heights

Across the board, data and research shows that women want to be in paid employment, but socio-economic barriers stand in their way. Companies need to be looking into what is standing in the way of women joining their company.

• Is it their work ethics?
• Is it the lack of flexible work availability?
• Do they have a female-positive reputation?
• Do they offer family-friendly benefits such as help with childcare, in-house childcare facilities, breast-pumping room?
• Do they offer good support for those suffering from medical conditions?
• Do they consider a disability leave different from a sick leave?

At The Luxe Nude, we are proud to be a female-run female-positive company. As we are developing our company and expanding our team, we are always conscious of issues that stand in the way of women joining the work force. Our current team works both remotely and in office, with flexible hours that suit them when it comes to personal commitments, further education, disabilities, and childcare.