Why should I get paid less for doing the same Job? More work needed in fixing employment-related gender gaps

BY SYDNEE WALCOTT

Equality for women has been a long-standing issue. Although there has been some progression throughout the different waves of feminism, there is still a long way to go.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), gender imbalances in the work field are higher than previously thought, and progression toward improvement has been slow for almost two decades.

A new indicator developed by the ILO, “The Jobs Gaps,” was created to help capture all unemployed persons who have shown interest in wanting a job.

The data shows that women have more of a challenging time finding a job than men. At least 15% of working-age women worldwide would like to work (but don’t have a job) compared to 10.5% of men.

This gender gap has been an issue since 2005. That’s almost two decades.

The job gap is a severe issue in developing countries where the proportion of women struggling to find a job is 24.9%. For men, the percentage is 16.6%. Although it’s a high number, it is significantly lower than for women.

Personal and family responsibilities have left women disproportionately affected as they have prevented them from being able to hold a job and actively search for one.

Vulnerability also plays a factor in this gender gap issue.

While vulnerable employment is an issue for both genders, women have experienced overrepresentation. For example, women are more occupied with housework or helping a relative with their business than being in their own-account work.

Both vulnerability and low employment rates take a toll on women’s earnings and their share of the global labor income total. For each dollar of global income a man earns, women will earn 51 cents.

The ILO is not the only group addressing this issue.

This year for International Women’s Day, the theme for this year was to embrace equity and call for demand for equal opportunity, specifically in the digital world.

According to various surveys, women either make up a small percentage of workers in the tech field or have experienced online work violence relating to their work. Around the world, women marched on the streets and demanded equal pay and treatment in the workforce.

With ILO shedding light on this alarming disparity, it highlights the importance of improving employment access and participation for all women.