Mind the Gender Gap

Still an issue and coming in strong for 2020 is the problem of the gender gap in the workforce. The hope is that we will soon overcome the problem, but a report from the World Economic Forum paints a more concerning picture. The Global Gender Gap Report assesses a total of 153 countries’ progression towards gender equality, covering “four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival and Political Empowerment”. In addition, this year’s report examines gender gap prospects in the professions of the future. It is the dimension of economic participation and opportunity that is cause for the most concern.

The 2020 report revealed that, at our current progression, the world will see true, equal gender parity in about 100 years. The closing of the gender gap was something I’d hoped to see in my lifetime. Not even my hypothetical children will see it. It’s a worrying statistic for fans of gender equality.

WHAT IS IT

But what actually is the gender gap and how does it manifest? Glad you asked. The main ways the gender gap presents itself in the workplace is namely through wages, roles, the allocation of tasks, and the treatment they receive.

With wages, women are generally considered to be paid less than men for the same or similar roles. Equal Pay Day highlights this issue of the disparity between men and women’s wages quite well. Equal Pay Day symbolises how far a woman must work in a year to make the same amount a man did in the previous year. The date differs for different groups of women, as well as differing in different countries. For the UK, it will be March 31st this year, whereas France’s day will be March 1st.

Women are heavily underrepresented in leadership roles, which have long since been seen as more suited to men as leadership qualities are seen as more “masculine” traits. But not only do fewer women find themselves in leadership roles than men, an invisible barrier to higher up positions often comes into full force as they get older. One of the speculated reasons for this is that as women get older and begin to have families, they often are seen as being less committed to work, and in an employer’s eyes are seen as having lost years of experience.

Women also navigate working life in a different way than when compared to men. Sexual harassment continues to be a common problem in the office, as well as male-dominated work environments that can make it hard for women to have their voices heard and their work recognised. In one particular example, two coworkers who shared an inbox swapped signatures for two weeks. The man found that it was harder to perform tasks, and struggled to build a rapport with clients. His female coworker, on the other hand, blitzed through her work under the guise of her colleague’s signature.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?

Yes, there is actually. And we’re glad you asked. There are a few things that can be done as an employer to minimise gender disparity. The key areas that need to be targeted are wages, harassment, and the roles given.

Reviewing and standardising pay is always a good step in the right direction. Women being paid less than men, aside from being discriminatory, also holds other problems. There being less economic output is one, as well as women needing to be more reliant on welfare as they get older, which can cause financial uncertainty and insecurity.

It is also important to be mindful of the hiring process and promotions. Women often get overlooked for leadership roles, as they’re often seen as unfit and incapable of performing in these roles when it isn’t the case. Having a gender-neutral hiring process in place can help to eliminate some bias, either conscious or subconscious. These values must also be employed when it comes to promotions for more senior roles. Introducing women into leadership roles has a number of benefits. Namely, they bring a fresh perspective to things, have a positive influence on growth and profit, and stronger financial performance.

Other helpful things include having a clear policy on discrimination and harassment in the workplace, in order to protect women at work.

And, above all, listening and paying heed to your female workers goes a long way. Either from paying attention in the boardroom when women speak, to listening attentively when they come forward with problems, is already a step towards bridging the gap.

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