Gender should not determine pay; contribution should

Gender should not determine pay; contribution should.

Unfair pay practises are not accepted by children, so why are they accepted by adults? 

With so many years of programming and conditioning many men AND women don't even think to check if there is a gender pay gap, or just accept it as normal. This is not guesswork on my part, I check in with my corporate clients and the senior leadership teams I work with. Just like all other forms of discrimination and inequality, this is one that needs to be checked or it will continue.

Watch the video below of how children respond to being paid more or less based on their gender; and how they make it right.

What is your organisation doing to close the gender pay gap?

In 2022, the International Labour Organization (ILO) announced a statistic that globally women are paid 20 per cent less than men. In South Africa the gender pay gap is sitting at 23 - 35%. 

Sunitha Vikram I Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Expert and co-founder of AGUA Women's Leadership gives some suggestions for organisational practises that can be taken up to close the #genderpaygap:

Use Market salary data to determine the current pay package vs asking about the salary paid by the current/previous employer

1. Diversify your interviewers to diversify your potential candidates and look for culture 'add' vs culture fit 
2. Publish wage ranges for all levels of roles so there is transparency in the pay determination process 
3. Conduct pay equity audits and then, most importantly, action to close the gaps
4. Include female leadership in succession planning
5. Review your policies, processes, and practises to ensure they are aligned with the gender pay equity efforts (processes lead to results).

Your checklist for International Women's Day on 8 March

Do this for International Women's Week:

1. Go through the checklist above to see where you may be falling short, or short-changing the women in your business.
2. Then use the results of your check-in to open up conversations and take further action to close the gender pay gap.

When it comes to women's empowerment both women and men must be involved to shift the narrative, the expectations and all of our behaviour. It's not about either or, it's about both and.  It takes boys and girls, men and women to make the world go round. Gender should not determine pay; contribution should.

#bothand #womenempowerment #winatworkandlife #genderpaygap