Econ Dit

When we split the bill, who’s really paying?

Our progressive society has made brave strides for equality between all genders as of late. However, should we also be placing a greater emphasis on the unique responsibilities of women in a pursuit for equity over equality? However, should we place an emphasis on responsibilities unique to women in order to pursue equity more than equality?

Gone are the days where a woman’s sole purpose was to keep the house and mind the children. Workplaces are now generally more inclusive of female employees. Women are able to pursue careers that may have previously been considered too demanding, and aspire to leadership positions historically only offered to men. In fact, research has shown that on average, women outperform men in all aspects of leadership and are more productive than their male counterparts, completing around 10% more work. Considering this, why are women still stuck behind other Australians? Part of this can be attributed to more obvious components: the gender pay gap.

We place a higher value on maledominated industries. This is reflected in lower award rates for womendominated industries that involve caring for others. Whether that be aged care or childcare, awards in these industries are significantly lower than in male-driven areas such as trades, even if both roles require the same level of certification.

Words by Maia Hodge

Our economy places a greater emphasis on physical capital such as buildings and infrastructure rather than human capital, especially at an early level (think childcare and pre-schooling). Caring also forms a major unpaid job for many women. Consider common household work such as laundry, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping. It is estimated that women spend around 60% more time on average performing these duties than men in the household, a figure that has changed very little since the 80s. If a child needs to go home sick, women are around 8 times more likely than men to take time off to care for them. The expense of hiring someone to do these tasks, such as a chef, cleaner, maid, or nanny is inaccessible to most Australian households, necessitating this sacrifice of time which too often falls disproportionately upon women. This time lost can manifest in setbacks like less take home pay or worsened productivity as women take leave to account for these duties and face the stress that arises with it.

It is also important to recognise the inherently feminine task of bearing children, which is accompanied by menstruation. Whilst not all women want kids, those who do often have to choose between starting a family and pursuing a successful career. Giving birth can set back career progression as women miss out on workplace experiences and become subject to discrimination.

Many women report fearing that they are perceived as weak or not committed to their job if they take extended leave. If paid parental leave is not available or provides less income than would have been received otherwise, then the gender pay gap perpetuates. Further, women have experienced being paid less for performing the same role after maternity leave, as they return to a more flexible workplace but still complete the same workload. This, amongst other factors, is delaying women from giving birth until later in their life, with the average age of first-time mums in Australia sitting around 29 years old.

Furthermore, menstruation can come with further challenges for some women, as symptoms can range from mild to severe enough to affect daily function and productivity, making it relevant to the workplace. However, the taboo surrounding menstruation can make it hard for women to speak up when they are suffering, even though the effect of periods often mimic those of other illnesses which warrant sick leave. Menstruation leave is already in place in countries like Indonesia, where 12 days of paid period leave are offered a year. This kind of policy promotes better trust and sentiment between manager and employee, and more productive women.

These factors are leaving women with less superannuation than men because the superannuation system is based on paid work and so many women sacrifice this to care for others. In the years approaching retirement, the gender superannuation gap falls anywhere between 22 percent and 35 percent, leaving women to struggle in their final years. This is now being realised as older women over 55 form the fastest growing group to experience homelessness in Australia. Older women are at a much higher risk of experiencing homelessness if they are a single parent. As the number of single person households continues to rise, we may very well see many more women struggling to find secure housing in the future.

With this in mind, what needs to change? Gender discrimination needs to be addressed, not only by the public attitude but also in policy to ensure women can step off on the right foot and be able to save enough to be self-sufficient in their future. We need more representation of women in positions that can influence this change to create an efficient and supportive workplace that promotes a better quality of life for all. In turn, all of Australia benefits as we recognise the true worth of currently undervalued females. Equal opportunity for all genders is a good goal, but an equitable society that supports women through their unique struggles is a great goal.