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Posted on: 16/05/2012 11:05.
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Gender


Overview (Introduction):

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the comparative performance of women and men - academically, financially and across all employment sectors. Although there is still a way to go, women are having an increasing impact in the workplace and the balance is shifting. Recognition of women's contributions is changing too, as is the nature of support available by the government and an increasing number of employers, professional bodies and agencies.

The male/female pay differential continues to be the main source of inequality. The average hourly earnings of women working full-time are only 82% of the equivalent average of men, despite the Equal Pay Act 1970.

This 18% gender pay gap is more or less pronounced regionally and across different industry sectors, compounded by the ongoing gender segregation of workplace roles.

For example, three quarters of working women are still found in just five occupational groups, including: administration and secretarial work; social work and caring services; and professional and technical services. Similarly, some sectors, including engineering and IT, find it harder to recruit women compared to those where men are in the minority, such as primary school teaching, human resources and nursing. Women are less than half as likely to work in higher managerial or professional occupations.

Positive change, however, is being seen. Female students are gradually overtaking men in their performance at school and university. Traditionally male-dominated professions, such as medicine and law, are beginning to take in more female graduates then male. For example, there are twice as many female engineering graduates today than there were 20 years ago, and over 50% of the trainee accountants currently registered with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) are women. In the UK in 2003, nearly 30% of all managers and 10% of directors were women, compared to around 8% and just over 1% respectively in 1990.

Family and maternal responsibilities are a key factor affecting the gender pay gap as women take on comparatively more family commitments and work part-time to accommodate these responsibilities.

Marketing yourself:

Some employers have misconceptions that women have particular strengths, weaknesses or additional commitments to men. Whatever your gender, it is important to market yourself effectively when looking to get in or get on in your career.

A positive and focused approach to providing evidence of your relevant skills and experiences, matched to those sought by the employer, is an effective strategy for reducing the chances of facing unfair discrimination based on factors such as your gender. Providing evidence of how you as an individual meet their specific needs will make it harder for the employer to reject your application.

At interview, be confident in your approach and be prepared to demonstrate evidence of your abilities with examples from your previous experiences. Although you should not have to answer questions on, or provide justification for, circumstances that are not related to your ability to do a job, preparing a positive response to such questions can be useful. Similarly, thinking ahead about how you would answer an inappropriate question in a positive way can also give you confidence when facing a tricky situation.

Seek support with and feedback from applications and selection processes wherever possible. For example, a careers adviser can provide tips on how to market your experiences effectively on a job application. Professional bodies or women’s networks can also provide advice, strategies and access to female mentors in a career area you are looking to break into. Mentors can often provide useful tips on how to combat negative perceptions, maximise your progression, or provide a positive angle on any of your previous experiences.

Understanding the law:

The Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) of 1975 prohibits gender discrimination against individuals in employment, including recruitment, treatment at work and dismissal. It also makes it illegal to discriminate against married people, where employment is concerned. There are exceptions if the gender of the worker is a ‘genuine occupational qualification’. The SDA allows an employer to restrict applications to women (or men) if the essential nature of the job calls fro a specific sex. For example, a female model for women’s clothes or a male care assistant whose job involves helping men dress or use the bathroom.

It’s usually quite easy to determine whether someone has been treated less favourably than someone of the opposite sex would have been in identical circumstances. This type of discrimination includes instances of sexual harassment (defined as unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature) or treating a female employee or candidate less favourably than her male counterparts because she is pregnant. The main grey area of the law is termed ‘indirect sexual discrimination’ and is far more subtle. This is where a condition or practice adversely affects a considerably large proportion of one sex than the other, and it is not justifiable, irrespective of sex, to apply that condition or practice. For example, a requirement to be under 5’10” would probably discriminate against men. And a requirement to work full time might unlawfully discriminate against women.

As well as the Sex Discrimination Act, there is the Equal Pay Act, which binds all employers to award men and women the same amount for doing the same job or a job of equal value. This also covers bonuses, overtime, holiday pay, sick pay, performance-related pay or occupational pensions. It’s worth noting that the Equal Pay Act can’t be used to deal with unequal pay where those being compared are of the same sex, regardless of how unfair or irrational the employer’s pay arrangements may be.

Facts and figures:

  • Average hourly earnings for women working full time are 18 per cent lower than for men. Source: Equal Opportunities Commission
  • In the 16-64 age group, two-thirds of women and over three-quarters of men are in employment. Source: Equal Opportunities Commission
  • The most female-dominated subjects at higher-education institutions are education and courses linked to medicine. Source: Equal Opportunities Commission

How can Career Development Services help?

Our services are open to any student or graduate of the University of Bradford, and you may be eligible to use us even if you're a graduate of another university - see our advice page for more information. We can arrange for you to speak confidentially to a Career Development Adviser about your own individual circumstances and the best way to positively market yourself to employers, as well as anything else careers-related that you need guidance with.

You can also use our Information Room, to access information on specific occupations and employers, travelling and working abroad, labour market information, volunteering, placements, jobseeking skills - anything 'careers-related' really! We also have a state of the art computer cluster (if you are a graduate you will need to bring photo ID in order for us to make you a password). There will always be a member of staff on hand to help you find the information you want.

In term-time we're open 9-5 Monday to Thursday and 9-4 on Fridays, and we're open 9-4 Monday to Friday during vacations. Our contact details are:

Top tips:

Prospects.ac.uk logo linking to the Handling Discrimination pagesProspects.ac.uk offers the following 'top tips' from the 'Handling Discrimination' section of their website:

  • Make sure you are well informed about legislation, salary differentials and your rights. A survey commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) showed that over two thirds of people looking for their first job are not aware that there are salary differences for the types of jobs usually done by women and those usually done by men. The EOC has a code of practice for pay and their website has a ‘payfinder calculator’, allowing you to compare salaries for men and women doing similar jobs in the same region.
  • Think about joining a trade union. Collective bargaining for equal pay is the most effective method to promote equality. The more women represented in trade unions, the greater the effect of making pay equality high on the agenda. A union will also support you and offer advice should you feel you are being unfairly treated by your employer.
  • Look out for networks of support for the advancement of women (groups, mentoring opportunities or initiatives) that are being developed by professional bodies and independent organisations. For example, the British Federation of Women Graduates has research scholarships available for women. The Women’s National Commission provides a comprehensive list of organisations for women on its website. Such organisations can also often help women to challenge any negative experiences.
  • Do not be afraid to ask potential employers about their approach to female employees. In addition to investigating salaries, statistics on their female workforce and promotion prospects, you may want to investigate their approaches to:
    • Flexible working opportunities;
    • Networks for female employees and female role models;
    • How they ensure fair and accessible processes for pay, or deal with any pay-related disputes;
    • Any initiatives or awards that the organisation has achieved.
  • Use your experiences in a positive way to demonstrate your strengths and skills. If you have been managing a family or are returning from a career break you may need to translate this into terminology that the employer is looking for. For example, can these experiences be used as examples of managing your time effectively?

Sources of further information:

Contacts:

Websites:

Publications:

The following are all available to download free from: http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk

  • A Guide to the Equal Pay Act 1970 (2005)
  • Equal Pay Questionnaire (March 2003)
  • Interim Update of Key Indicators of Women’s Position in Britain (2004)

Acts/Regulations



Back to Equality Issues