The gender gap is much more pronounced in older generations, but is narrowing slightly over time.
However, there is still a long way to go to achieve real and effective wage, labour and social equality, but how can we achieve it?
The gender gap, also known as the gender gap , is an indicator that arises from the difference between men and women in terms of variables such as salary , work or the domestic sphere.
In this article, we will focus on the gender gap in the workplace and its impact on each generation of women, as well as on the measures aimed at achieving real algeria email list 1.76 million contact leads equality that all companies can adopt to promote their development and growth.
Start of marked textShare! More teleworking, flexible working hours or timetable reforms are some measures that can reduce the wage gap .End of marked text
Gender pay gap: why does it occur?
The explanation for this social burden is complex and difficult to analyze, but there are different factors that act as an “anti-healing” agent that prevents the gap from closing completely.
In the following lines, we present the most relevant factors that directly influence wage differences.
1. The asymmetric distribution of domestic responsibilities
No one can deny that times have changed, but neither can they deny that the role of women in the domestic sphere remains predominant.
In fact, the INE reveals that, of the weekly hours dedicated to household chores, women spend 38 on caring for and educating their children, compared to 23 for men. As for domestic chores, women spend 20 hours a week, almost twice as many as men, who spend 11.
2. Psychological traits and non-cognitive skills
The “ Analysis of the wage and gender gap in Spain ”, a study prepared by CEOE in 2019, highlights that differences in the propensity to take risks and negotiate are factors that directly affect the wage differences between men and women.
3. Age
The gender pay gap does not affect all women in the same way. For example, the study 'Gender gaps in the Spanish labour market and their evolution throughout the life cycle', carried out by Sara de la Rica, a member of FEDEA, draws the following conclusions:
The biggest gap is found in older generations.
From the age of 35, it remains constant.
Women with university studies suffer from it to a lesser extent.
The fact that there is an increasingly smaller gap among young people entering the labour market is an indication that it will continue to narrow in the coming years.
4. The difficulty of access to positions of responsibility
The famous term “ glass ceiling ” refers to the invisible barriers that prevent or make it very difficult for women to access positions of responsibility within companies.
The pandemic: a new obstacle in the fight against the gender gap
According to the EPA surveys for the second quarter of the year, the female unemployment rate has worsened, standing at 16.72% compared to 14.13% for men. This reality is explained, among other reasons, by the fact that many mothers have been forced to stay at home during the lockdown , either because they worked in non-essential sectors or because they simply did not work, seeing their medium and long-term job prospects dramatically reduced.
The pandemic is also causing women to be more likely to lose their jobs . In fact, the aforementioned surveys show that the sector most affected by the crisis is the services sector, an area with a greater female presence and where more than 816,000 jobs have been lost .
Steps companies can take to reduce the gap
Using the study “ Analysis of the gender pay gap in Spain ” prepared by CEOE as a guide, we also propose a series of lines of action to reduce the impact of each cause within companies.
The wage gap is higher the higher the salary level, a situation that can be reversed by promoting the professional development of women within organizations.
Adopt measures to balance work, personal life and family life to facilitate the sharing of household chores, such as flexible working hours or teleworking, which serve as a counterbalance to the workload at home.
Encourage the measurement of wage gaps and implement systems of greater salary transparency within companies.
Increase women's participation in the company's decision-making bodies.
The gender gap in different generations of women
To shed light on the progressive reduction of the gender gap in the workplace over time, Paula Mattio, author of the book “Equality, an objective in the company”, analyses the role of each generation of women in the world of work, from selection and hiring to training and development, in the webinar of the Generation and Talent Observatory.
