The Gender Wage Gap is defined as difference in earnings between women and men and it refers to their median earnings. Experts have determined this gap in a large number of ways, but the varying calculations point to a single conclusion: Women consistently seem to earn less than men, and the gap is wider for women of colour.
Working women are paid less than working men. This is an ugly truth our society needs to acknowledge. Gender wage gap is of two types: the adjusted wage gap and the unadjusted wage gap. The adjusted wage gap takes into account extraneous factors such as education, experience etc while the unadjusted wage gap simply states figures. Thus, the contrast is much more prominent while looking at the unadjusted wage gap.
You can check publication about “What is the gender pay gap and is it real?” by EPI (Economic Policy Institute) : https://www.epi.org/publication/what-is-the-gender-pay-gap-and-is-it-real/
Why Does it Occur?
The gender wage gap is calculated by looking at the number of men who work vs the number of women who work. There is a stark difference in this number which is what makes the difference in wages so prominent. There are numerous underlying factors for this discrepancy that range from socio-economic to structural.
For starters, girls from a very young age are often now allowed to attend schools or are made to drop out as paying for education is considered to be a “waste” on them. There are also instances wherein a girl is educated simply to increase her marriage prospects and isn’t allowed to pursue a career after her education.
Due to the strong patriarchy embedded in our society, the onus of taking care of the family, house and children also falls on the woman alone. The women are expected to make family and taking care of the household their first priority and their career and personal life the second.
Another common reason is the inability to stay back till late hours (especially in corporate jobs) by women. Most corporates demand long hours that may extend well into the night, but a majority of women report not being able to stay back due to safety issues and harassment, thus being perceived to be less hardworking and dedicated as compared to their male counter parts.
Paid maternity leave and menstrual leave are also two factors that are yet to be incorporated into company policies in our country, and because of this many women are considered as liabilities to employers, and thus they fall behind or aren’t given the same opportunities as the men in the same role.
The Statistics and Prevalence
According to the Gender Gap Index by the World Economic Forum, Indian has gone from the 108th position in 2018 to the 112th in 2020 and it will take the country about 100 years to bridge this gap.
The Monster Salary Index which was published in 2019 revealed that women in our country earn 19% less than men and has reduced by only 1% since 2018. Surprisingly, as one moves ahead in terms of skill, job profile, position, and experience, the gender wage gap only increases. The gap touches 20% for skilled women and 30% for highly skilled occupations. As mentioned, the gap increases with experience and reaches a peak of 15% in favour of men who’ve had experience for 10 and more years, showed the MSI index.
Women employed in the blue-collar jobs are also paid significantly less as compared to males. They are considered to be weak and relatively less skilled, and thus assumed to contribute less effort into the work. Women in these jobs are also often exploited and not even paid the legal daily wages in return of their labour, but are forced to take on the job due to their circumstances.
You can also check out this article about "Gender Inequality at Workplace": https://democraticnaari.com/2021/06/05/gender-inequality-at-workplace/
How Can We Reduce the Gap and Fix the Problem?
A frequent point that comes up during conversations surrounding the gender wage gap is that the onus of the gap lays on the women. They are often blamed for causing the disparity themselves because of taking ‘too many leaves’, ‘not being focused and dedicated’, and having ‘other priorities.’
However, what people often don’t realise is the systemic root to all these problems. The society lays all these expectations and role standards on women and then hold them against her. If she prioritises her job, she’s not a “good wife/mother” and is “selfish”, but if she prioritises her family she’s not a “good employee”. Further educating employers on gender equality and recognising covert gender discrimination, and implementing policies that assert more even distribution of gender among the hired employees are some basic ways in which the gender wage gap can be reduced.
Recognising the pressure of society on women and giving them adequate paid menstrual and maternity leave can also help reduce this gap. Women all around the world are victims to this unjust practice, and are gradually starting to speak up against it. Women who have access to large platforms such as movie stars from across the industry like Jennifer Lawrence and Deepika Padukone have actively spoken up about the wage gaps that exist in their profession and their ongoing struggle to get an equal pay.
Further, in 2010, a rule implemented by the Government of India under the Equality Act of 2010, provides the right to equal pay between women and men for equal amount of work for individuals in the same employment and also includes equality in pay and all other contractual terms. The provision says that all employees working whether full time or part time must get equal pay regardless of length of service.
It is the 21st century. Women have fought for equal rights since decades, but are still being held back by the standards and “norms” of society. It is high time that the difficulties faced by women are recognised and acknowledged, given adequate compensation and are finally allowed to get through and break this glass ceiling.
