The Pay Gap - think men and women are equal? think again
By Macha Ball
What is the gender pay gap?
This term represents the difference between women and men’s wages, not just in similar positions but as an average across all workers. In Ireland, this pay gap is, as of 2017,13.9%, while it stands at 16.3% in the EU. In other words, women are on average paid 13.9% less than men in Ireland, and 16.3% less in the EU. The figures range from 5.5% less in Italy and Luxembourg, to 26.9 % less in Estonia (European Commission, 2017).
What about non-binary people?
While it is called the ‘gender pay gap’, this term is based on a gender binary which severely lacks inclusivity, and therefore non-binary folks are underrepresented and/or misgendered in studies of gender pay gaps. Oftentimes, employers have to choose between either assuming their employees’ gender identity or excluding them from the study altogether. This raises serious questions both about the accuracy of current pay gap figures, and also about other potential pay gaps, for example between cisgender (people who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth) and non-binary folk.
What causes the gender pay gap?
There are several reasons identifiable as being directly linked to the differences in men and women’s wages, which relate to long-standing historical and sociological factors. First, women tend to have more difficulty in obtaining promotions, even if they are most qualified for the job. This relates to the sexist idea that women are unfit for leadership, either because they are thought to ‘belong in the home’, or because they are ‘bossy’, while men are ‘assertive’ and ‘goal-oriented’. Women also face illegal discrimination in employment and in pay, with more difficulty in being hired, and sometimes reduced wages. Furthermore, careers such as teaching, in which women outnumber men, are generally less paid than careers in which men outnumber women, even with equivalent qualification and experience requirements. You might have heard of the term ‘double-shift’, meaning that women are traditionally made to take care of household activities and childcare at disproportionate rates, with women spending on average four hours a day working for free (housework is work!) while men spend some nine hours a week on same. This leads us to a third factor: because the burden of unpaid work is largely left to women, they have less time for paid work: a third of women, and one in ten men, work part-time. The lack of a significant parental leave in most European countries for the parent who is not giving birth (regardless of their gender) also reinforces the idea that women are responsible for childcare.
What can we do?
If judiciary measures ruled our world, the pay-gap would no longer exist in Ireland. However, society is more complicated than that, and sexist ideas regarding the role of women in the workforce – or the lack thereof – are still engrained in our mores. In order to solve the pay gap issue, there needs to be a complete restructuring of the role of men within the home, and that of women within the workplace. The idea that the mother is the most important parent, while it might seem well-intentioned, reinforces the burden on women, while also perpetuating homophobic ideas impacting the ability for many men and non-binary folks in same-sex relationships to become parents. The unpaid work carried out by women, and especially mothers (single or not), needs to be acknowledged by society as a whole. There needs to be changes in the way children are raised, with similar expectations and teachings for children of all genders regarding household tasks. Young girls and women should be taught to embrace assertiveness, and should be taught the same leadership skills as men. Let’s change mindsets! Bossy is a compliment.
Source: European Commission (2017), ‘The gender pay gap in Ireland’.
