Women's Views on News |
| No disguising gender employment gaps Posted: 25 Jun 2015 02:10 AM PDT
Recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the employment rate for women in the UK at a "record high", reaching 68.8 per cent. The figures, covering the period from February to April, give an overall unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent, the lowest level since August 2008. They also show the strongest wage growth since August 2011, with earnings increasing an average 2.7 per cent. However, as the BBC’s head of statistics Anthony Reuben has pointed out, these are "not precise figures". The quarterly Labour Force Survey on which they are based needs to be interpreted in the context of its margin of error – meaning the reported drop in unemployment levels is in fact "not statistically significant". What is significant, on the other hand, is the remaining extent of the gap between male and female employment levels. Even if this is a "record high", it's still far from levelling out. Other recent claims about the UK's progress in closing employment-related gender gaps similarly merit closer analysis. In March this year, the UK gained ground in PwC's annual Women in Work index, climbing from 18th to 14th among the 27 developed economies assessed. This is the UK's strongest placing since 2000, largely thanks to a rise in female labour force participation and a fall in female unemployment rates, as highlighted in the ONS statistics. But while the UK ranks within the top 10 for female workforce participation, it is almost at the bottom of the index (25th out of 27) when it comes to the proportion of women in full-time work. The index also reflects the still very sizable extent of the gender pay gap, both in the UK and throughout the developed world. In OECD countries as a whole, the gender pay gap has remained unchanged since 2012. While the UK has made some small progress in narrowing the gap in the last 12-month period, in some countries – notably Ireland and Australia – pay inequality has actually worsened in recent years. And the gender pay gap of course also means a large difference in pension size. UK women retiring this year will receive an average £4,800 per year less than men, according to figures from insurance company Prudential. This is in fact, once again, a "record high" for women, and Prudential's research also suggests a growing proportion of women feel optimistic about their pension prospects. Half of surveyed women said they feel financially well-prepared for retirement – up from 41 per cent last year, while 44 per cent believe their pension will allow them to retire comfortably – up from just 29 per cent. Again, this may be movement in the right direction, but much more than that it is a stark reminder of the distance left to cover. Finally, a recent study released by the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI) announced that Britain is the best location in Europe, and third best in the world, for female entrepreneurs to start a business. The study considered factors such as access to finance and women's perceptions about their own entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Once again though, the wider context lends this apparently positive news some sobering perspective. A report from the Department for Business published earlier this year showed that only one in five businesses are majority-owned by a woman, and women are a third less likely than men to start their own company. So, much as I'm enthusiastic about the general concept of taking a positive approach, this recent plethora of "success stories" calls for an alternative interpretation. These may be "record highs", but they are not cause for either pride or complacency. Instead, they are reminders of just how large the gender gap remains across the world of work. Let's celebrate when "record high" has become "equal to men". |
| Parity and power: focus on Scotland Posted: 25 Jun 2015 01:09 AM PDT
The record high of 191 women MPs – 29 per cent – elected to the House of Commons on 7 May was an increase of 48 women from the immediate post-2010 election results. An improvement, clearly. But the number of women elected to Westminster remains a long way from parity; and the 2015 election results put the UK in only 37th place worldwide in terms of women with parliamentary seats. Despite the gains made for women in the elections there is little room for complacency as there is still a significant way to go before we reach equal representation at Westminster, and further progress is unlikely without still greater commitment by all of the political parties. The UK is lagging well behind several of its European comparators, as well as many Latin American and African countries – including the current world leader, Rwanda, whose Chamber of Deputies is 64 per cent female. The countries that have overtaken the UK on women's representation have done so largely through the use of 'fast track' equality measures; 16 of the top 20 countries for women's representation worldwide use some form of gender quotas – ranging from voluntary party quotas to statutory legal ones. The global evidence, then, is clear: without active intervention, gains in women's representation at Westminster will very likely continue to be slow and incremental. In Scotland, the attention is now turning to next year's Scottish Parliament elections. The numbers of women at Holyrood have been dropping. And while the SNP has led on women's representation in the 2015 General Election and its Westminster seats, the party continues to lag behind Labour in terms of women's representation at Holyrood: currently 27 per cent of the SNP’s MSPs are women, compared to Labour's 47 per cent. There are promising signs here for 2016, including the SNP Party Conference's recent backing of the ability to set all-women shortlists. The key now for the SNP will be effective implementation of these measures. Repeated calls have been made for the need for legislative quotas, and these have been led by the cross-party campaign group Women 50:50 in Scotland. Repeated calls have had to be made. Because today, despite women making up 52 per cent of the population in Scotland women occupy only 36 per cent of the seats on public boards, less than 35 per cent of MSPs are women and only 24 per cent of councillors. And it is estimated that unless there is some radical change, it will take 80 years for there to be equality in parliament. Clearly this is not good. We believe the only way to achieve a balance in public life, so that our elected representatives reflect our society as it is, is through legal quotas. Women 50:50 campaigners are asking for legislation which would mean all parties have to put forward at least 50 per cent women candidates in the Scottish Parliament and Council elections and the same legislation for public boards. The 50:50 campaign was launched by Kezia Dugdale, Lothians MSP for Scottish Labour, and Alison Johnstone, Lothians MSP for the Scottish Green Party – and welcomes the support of individuals from all the political parties and those from none. Or help us by writing to your MSP and your party leader, and calling for 50:50 goal for women in Holyrood, in councils and on boards. |
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