Gender in the UK

1. Gender in the UK Do we have equal opportunities?

2. This presentation looks at • Evidence of gender inequalities • Reasons for gender inequalities • Legislation on gender inequalities

3. Gender Stereotyping Some claim that there is a “pink collar” ghetto of low paid occupations revolving around the caring professions. Women are stereotyped as carers and men as “breadwinners”. Those who break these stereotypes, be it men who take caring responsibilities for children, or women in traditionally “male” jobs, often encounter social isolation or sexist “banter”.

4. “At the current rate, it will take at least another two decades to close the pay gap. Women who work full time will earn on average £330,000 less than a man over their working lives – that’s the price of a family home. It’s amazing that we still think this is something that a decent society can live with” Trevor Phillips, Chair of Equality and Human Rights Commission The Pay Gap

5. Sex and power report 2011 • The report concludes that at the current rate of progress it will take women • 30 years to achieve an equal number of senior police officers • 70 to achieve an equal number of top company directors

6. Girls and young women are outperforming males at all educational levels. They are moving into an expanding range of occupations, and building successful careers. The gender pay gap is narrowing. But for many this all comes to an abrupt halt when childcare comes into the working week. Mary Gregory, Oxford University The Glass Ceiling The glass ceiling is one of the reasons for gender inequality. A study in 2008 by the Royal Economic Society found that professional and managerial women who became mothers moved down the job ladder after returning from having a child. 2/3 took clerical or lower skilled jobs.

7. 73% of women managers believe there are barriers preventing them from progressing to top levels – the glass ceiling Source: Ambition and gender at work, Institute of Leadership & Management, 2011

8. 17% of women believe that raising or caring for children has presented barriers to career development, compared to 7% of men Source: Ambition and gender at work, Institute of Leadership & Management, 2011

9. Don’t go out alone Recent years has seen a marked increase in sexual attacks on women. 450 rapes were reported in 2011/12 in Strathclyde alone. Strathclyde Police has urged women enjoying a night out in Glasgow city centre to stay with their friends, especially if they are drinking alcohol. In response to the increase in violence and ill-judged comments by a police officer, some 200 people marched in Glasgow’s first ever “Slut Walk” in protest at the belief that rape victims "ask for it“. Scotland has been criticised for having one of Europe's lowest conviction rates. The Scottish Government has passed the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act in an attempt to improve rape conviction rates.

10. Straight jacketed: women are disadvantaged by outdated job structures and attitudes. Excluded from power: only 11% of FTSE 100 company directors are women. X chromosome discrimination: every year 30,000 women lose their jobs because they are pregnant. Impoverishment: two-thirds of low paid workers are women. Sexual exploitation: Visiting lap dance clubs has become an increasing way of entertaining business clients. Money gap: Women working full-time earn 17% less than men. Sexism and the City: Fawcett’s campaign

11. Nearly 40 years on from the outlawing of discrimination against women in the workplace – sexism in the City remains rife. A leading City lawyer is in line for a record £13 million compensation payout. Fawcett’s Solutions? Government: Extend the right to work flexibly to all End the opt-out of the EU Working Time Directive Make pay audits compulsory License lapdance clubs as Sex Encounter Establishments Business: Pay all employees a living wage Don't fund the sex industry Implement and promote flexible working for all at every level Challenge cultures that discriminate against and stereotype women What do you think?

12. THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 The Equality Act replaces the Equal Pay Act, the Sex Discrimination Act and other gender equal opportunities acts: Gender is a “protected characteristic.” Discrimination; when "someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic” remains very illegal. Understanding the 2010 Equality Act

13. The Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips, chair of EHRC The EHRC is trying to take a more “holistic” approach to issues of inequality involving gender, race, age, disability and sexual orientation. It feels the old “single issue” equal opportunities approach meant some disadvantaged groups could improve better than others, perhaps even pitted discriminated groups against one another. The EHRC hopes to “mainstream” equalities law in organisations across the range of discriminations.

14. Positive Action on race or gender Employers are now able to take “positive action” in order to minimise disadvantage by people who share a protected characteristic e.g. gender or race. This could be to reduce their under-representation relating to particular activities or their particular needs. It means targeting assistance to people, not giving them a job just because of their gender or race. But, if an employer has two candidates of equal merit, it can choose one on the basis of their protected characteristic in order to create a more representative workforce.

15. Is the new, tougher, legislation necessary to overcome inequalities or has “political correctness gone too far”? Has the 2010 Equality Act gone too far?

16. The Equality Act contains two new (and controversial) features Transparency in earnings The government says transparency is essential in tackling discrimination, so it is banning secrecy clauses in contracts that prevent employees from talking about how much they earn. This does not mean that people will be required to disclose their pay details, but they can compare pay and benefits if they so choose. Positive discrimination Employers will be able to take into account the make-up of their workforce when choosing between two equally qualified candidates. If a particular group is under-represented the employer can take this into account when deciding who to employ. They will also be able to "fast-track" or select recruits from under-represented groups, as long as they are equally suitable - but they will not be allowed to promote people purely on the basis of their race or gender.

17. Work of “equal value” It is not just women in professional jobs who face inequalities. Women are overwhelmingly concentrated in low paid jobs. Under the Equalities Act, a claim for equal pay may be made by either a woman or a man claiming equal pay with one or more “comparators” of the other sex. £20,341,152 was paid to underpaid women workers in Scotland in 2006/2007 and £3,088,163 in 2010/2011.

18. Breaking the glass ceiling: Law Morag McLintock is head of the Procurator Fiscal service for the Borders. Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, QC FRSA, She is a barrister, broadcaster and Labour member of the House of Lords. Elish Angiolini was the Lord Advocate, Scotland top law officer until May 2011

19. Breaking the glass ceiling: Business “It’s easy to let life’s obstacles stand in the way of your success, instead of seeing every experience as something to learn from.” Michelle Mone Co-owner MJM International Michelle Mone: Take it on

20. Breaking the glass ceiling: Business “More well-qualified women are now coming up through the ranks. We will therefore see a radical change over the next generation as those who previously had limited opportunities and exposure in the business arena can now make the next step on the career ladder.” Nosheena Mobarik, Chair, CBI Scotland (from September 2011)

21. Breaking the glass ceiling: The Police Justine Curran is Chief Constable of Tayside Police. Women now account for more than one in four (26.8%) of the entire police workforce. N.B. Scotland’s eight police forces will merge into one in April 2013.

22. Breaking the glass ceiling: Transport “I took on this role because I am driven to succeed. I am my own worst critic and have always worked in a male-dominated environment so I don't know any different.” Mary Grant, Former Managing Director, First Scotrail

23. Breaking the glass ceiling: Politics Nicola Sturgeon and Fiona Hyslop are in the Scottish Cabinet. But Caroline Flint resigned from the Gordon Brown UK Cabinet in 2009 claiming used female members as “window dressing”. Caroline Lucas is the Green Party’s first MP.

24. A Representative Parliament? Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrat, East Dunbartonshire. Theresa May, Home Secretary Just 21.5% of MPs are female. The number of Labour women has fallen from 94 to below 80 – about 30% of Labour MPs. The number of Conservative women has risen from 18 to about 48 – about 16% of  Conservative MPs. The number of Liberal Democrat women has fallen from 9 to 7 – about 13% of Liberal Democrat MPs. The number of SNP MPs stayed the same, 1, 16.7%.

25. Is the future female?

26. THE WORLD OF WORK IS CHANGING…. The world of work is changing • It’s about brain power rather than muscle power   • More and more companies are seeing the benefits of flexible working • More of us now work from home • These changes mean that women can take time off work to raise young children and not jeopardise their career the way they did in the past.