Here's a statistic for you:
Women work 2/3 of the world's working hours but earn only 10% of the world's income(GuidingUK Winter 2010)
Just ponder it for a moment. It's a statistic that needs a little thinking about for the reality of what it means hits home.
Thinking about the UK only:
If you are a mum with young children, this is how likely you are to be working compared to a man based on the age of your children. This makes sense. The detail is
here.
 |
| Source: Office For National Statistics |
But consider this:
Women on average earned 16% less than men, widening to 27% for women aged 40.
Maybe it's because women work part time jobs, the lower end of the pay scale I hear you say? No, look at this:
By the time you are working 90 hours a week, the pay gap is 27%. Who works 90 hours week? Doctors, executives, plumbers? We aren't talking school teaching assistants.
Why should we earn 27% less than our male counterparts? If we are as well qualified, experienced, committed, then why?
Apparently women don't bargain as well for a higher wage and the industry we are in makes a difference. IT and the pharmaceutical industries are the worst where the gaps are £17,736 and £14,018 respectively. I am in IT and I know men I work with that are paid considerably more than me.
I know I could have more at work now than I do, I have turned down opportunity after opportunity. I give up my overtime and on-call as much as possible to some of the men I work with. They are keen for the money, I am keen to get home to be with my family.
I can see my life in 10 years time, an empty house, no name labels to sew! Why would I want to sit in an office until midnight and beyond when I want to be there when my daughter goes to bed. Why would I rush to work to show the boss how keen I am, when I want to talk about the days plans over a sit down breakfast with my daughter before she goes to school. Very very soon she won't need me. And I guess my managers know, no matter how many suits I wear, that if the call from school comes I will drop everything and leave.
I believe that is why we are paid less. We cannot ever commit 100% to our careers if we have a family to look after too.
But is that extra focus a man may give worth 27%?
Hmmm - do you know I'm really not sure, I believe complete commitment, blood letting commitment to work, is worth 27%. But do all men give that, no of course they don't and besides not all working women are mums.
The flexible working legislation has done a lot to help mums back into work but when 'sick child' call comes from school I guess it is the mum that has to answer it much more often than the dad.
Being a working mum is hard, harder than anyone other than a working mum knows. Often saddled with guilt, half a job done at home, half commitment at work and discrimination from both employers and SAHMs alike.
It's all going to change in
2057 apparently! I wonder if you have ever been introduced to
Mary Macarthur. She led the Women Chainmakers of Cradley Health in a battle to establish the right to a fair wage. I am proud of what she fought for and in awe of her great inner strength and tenacity.
I would debate for longer but I've got to juggle school holiday childcare, work packups, a presentation to finish for tomorrow and a mountain of childcare before bed, best run!
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