‘It’s 2018! Give us equal pay!’ we hear women scream hysterically. Why is man still a superior being to us weak, feeble women? Why are we judged on our gender and not our performance in the work place? Why are we still payed less than men? They continue shrieking wildly. Honestly, how ridiculous does it sound? Yes, it is 2018, the era of equal opportunities, and you expect me to believe that women are payed less because of their gender? The gender pay gap has been the cause of an enduring dispute and of course gender inequality takes the blame. How can we possibly accept that women face discrimination in the workplace when the very foundation of our modern-day society stands upon this hunger for justice in everything that we do? Whether it is gender, race or disability, equality has been maintained. Where differences in society were once created, a recent call for impartiality has brought it down. Our country, our people, and our laws ensure that no injustice is inflicted on the basis of our differences. The order ruled by the judge; humanity. Discrimination is proven not guilty when it comes to the pay gap. Come on girls, let’s stop being so naïve.
Then why does the pay gap exist? I hear you ask. Stereotypes have been broken. We pounded them down. We cracked them beyond repair. We know that anything we choose to do is now based on personal choice and personal choice alone. Society expects nothing but still, when it comes to careers, we still choose to follow jobs that have historically been dictated by our gender. The world of science and technology is still driven by men, and care and nurturing by women. Why? If it’s not down to stereotypes, then it must be personal choice and human nature. The average woman is paid 18.4 percent less than the average man. I’m not going to argue that this is a small number, the difference is in fact unarguably immense. However, for it to exist, different career paths must have been chosen for the simple reason that the gap appears only when different vocations are occupied. Still don’t believe me? Well here’s an example. According to ‘The Guardian’ there were 35,000 female engineers in the UK but 465,000 male engineers with the average salary being £40,000. On the contrary there were 57,000 male nurses but 471,000 female nurses in the same year who were paid an average salary of £32,000. The difference in wage appears so vast because the male dominated industry is usually paid higher than the female dominated industry. The point I am trying to make here is that, nothing prevents women from choosing a career path that will pay them wages equal to men, but even so they continue choosing the path that they want. For women that moan over unequal pay, I suggest a change in career, if it’s better wages you want.
Another reason for the pay gap is that women are 42 percent more likely to take time off work than men. This (obviously) has a drastic impact on the pay gap. The gender pay gap increases with age and there are many reasons for that, the main reason being that there is an increase in the responsibilities undertaken by them when they become mothers. During maternity leave, women are paid 10 percent less than normal wages during the first 6 weeks. This changes to £145.18 per week over the next 33 weeks, with the pay returning to its prior figure once the mother returns to work. The average wage for first time mothers is increasing and so when women take time off work to look after their children, they will have less pay than men as they are either part time or not at all. When women are paid less for this reason then the pay gap increases. According to the Office for National Statistics, women are more likely to return to work full time after their child is aged eleven or above. It is not because of discrimination against women that they are payed less but rather the duties they chose to undertake out of love for their children.
Today it is illegal to discriminate against individuals based on their race, background and religion due to the Equality Act established in 1970. Before this Act women were treated unfairly in terms of the wages they received by doing equal work to men. Due to this act an employer can no longer provide men with higher wages than women for equal work or choose workers based on gender unless it is not physically possible. Firefighters are prime examples as they are mostly men due to the strenuous labour they must be able to withstand. This does not mean to say that women cannot become firefighters but that less women than men are able to comply with the job physically. The Equality Act also ensures that men and women can claim equal pay if they believe that the work they are doing resembles the work being done by the opposite counterpart, that requires equal effort and skill, but that they are receiving unequal pay for it.
It is said that that the pay gap and gender inequality is as bad as it was ten years ago and that nothing has changed for women. Why, it is said, has there been zero progress towards equal opportunities? The answer is simple if we only knew where to look. At the women that surround us. Over the past decade our women have not changed. Their jobs, values and choices remain the same. It is not society that chooses our career path for us but rather we do, so it is unfair to blame the gender pay gap on discrimination and unequal opportunities when the reality is much simpler. We can become as advanced and as civilised as we want but when it comes down to human nature there will not be a change.
Women are not discriminated against. They are not provided with unequal pay on the basis of their gender. It may come as a surprise, but I too am a woman. A part of the youth of today. I am surrounded by people of my age, both male and female and I have never, not once, felt discriminated against because of my gender. And to tell you the truth, I do not see how this would change as I grow older. Will the boys I grow up with, suddenly change their minds and about equality and start to offer me lower pay based on my gender? And, will I accept their futile, lowly remarks if they were ever to be said? The answer is ‘NO!’. Nor would this ever be encouraged or ever be acceptable or accepted. The very thought brings a disbelieving smile to my face. The idea is beyond ludicrous. This is my generation, with people who share my ideas and my values and gender discrimination, I assure you, holds no place in our hearts.
