The wage gap between men and woman is a long standing hot-button for woman everywhere. Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup has highlighted breakpoints in women's lives, such as marriage and childbirth, that lead to low migration to senior positions at work.
At April Now, we find it disappointing that in these modern times women are still penalised for being a partner or
parent. Unclear policy and lack of
sensitivity surrounding issues such as breast feeding, child care options,
medical leave and work hours not only add to the pressure at one’s work place but lead to fewer women in
leadership positions. And even when laws are available to protect these rights,
social systems and norms often make it difficult.
Melinda Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation recently mentioned that women across cultures spend four and half
hours more than men at tasks at home as primary caregivers for children and
elderly among other chores. These unwritten expectations create more obstacles
in the fight against equality at the workplace and otherwise.
We believe it is high-time for men to carry their fair share of the load, and that society needs to adapt by distributing
core responsibilities such as
parenting and elderly care equally between men and woman. Woman
who feel solely responsible for such tasks may find it hard to cope at work, leading them to step down from other tasks.
Simple management decisions such as flexibility in work hours for
working parents could reduce stress on the individual, improve morale and build
loyalty. If men are expected to take
time off work for their families, they will naturally become crucial
caregivers. Many countries have already adopted a family leave policies supporting such changes in society.
What is essential in this conversation is to understand the value women
bring to the organization, reduce penalties for necessary and expected breaks,
and steering deserving candidates to leadership roles.
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| Melinda Gates |
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