What Is The Gender Pay Gap?
What is the gender pay gap?
The gender pay gap is the difference between how much men and women earn working in the same job. Equal pay for equal work is the concept of work rights that individuals in the same workplace be given equal pay. It is most commonly gender discrimination in terms of pay gap.
History of the pay gap
In 1969, the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ was introduced, however, equal pay was not applicable “where the work in question is essentially or usually performed but it is work in which male employees may also be employed. Before then, employers could pay women a minimum rate of 25% less than men doing the same or similar jobs. By 1972, only 18% of female employees, mostly teachers and nurses, were payed equally to men. Some employers tried to avoid paying …show more content…
[2] In November 2015, the Australian gender pay gap was 17.21%.[3] It is worth noting that this pay gap info is based on earnings, not wages
Factors that contribute to the gender pay gap:
- Women’s competences and skills are undervalued, so women frequently earn less than men for doing comparable jobs - that is, jobs of equal value.
- Not as many women are in senior positions, therefore earn less than men in higher positions in the same industry
- Jobs which are more women dominated such as nursing, earn less compare to jobs which are male dominated
- Women take on more unpaid jobs in the industry then men (working after hours)
- Discrimination; direct and indirect
How big is the gender pay gap issue?
The gender pay gap is a large factor that contributes to poverty of women later in life. In all industries, there is a pay gap favouring men with some of the biggest pay gap industries being female dominated jobs in health care, teaching and social assistance jobs. Gender pay gaps are generally higher in organisation-level industries compared to those determined my industry wide awards.
The gender pay gap is the difference between how much men and women earn working in the same job. Equal pay for equal work is the concept of work rights that individuals in the same workplace be given equal pay. It is most commonly gender discrimination in terms of pay gap.
History of the pay gap
In 1969, the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ was introduced, however, equal pay was not applicable “where the work in question is essentially or usually performed but it is work in which male employees may also be employed. Before then, employers could pay women a minimum rate of 25% less than men doing the same or similar jobs. By 1972, only 18% of female employees, mostly teachers and nurses, were payed equally to men. Some employers tried to avoid paying …show more content…
[2] In November 2015, the Australian gender pay gap was 17.21%.[3] It is worth noting that this pay gap info is based on earnings, not wages
Factors that contribute to the gender pay gap:
- Women’s competences and skills are undervalued, so women frequently earn less than men for doing comparable jobs - that is, jobs of equal value.
- Not as many women are in senior positions, therefore earn less than men in higher positions in the same industry
- Jobs which are more women dominated such as nursing, earn less compare to jobs which are male dominated
- Women take on more unpaid jobs in the industry then men (working after hours)
- Discrimination; direct and indirect
How big is the gender pay gap issue?
The gender pay gap is a large factor that contributes to poverty of women later in life. In all industries, there is a pay gap favouring men with some of the biggest pay gap industries being female dominated jobs in health care, teaching and social assistance jobs. Gender pay gaps are generally higher in organisation-level industries compared to those determined my industry wide awards.