I am having a bit of a writing marathon. My 3rd article in so many months. When the creative mind flows you have to follow.
I wanted to write about the Gender Pay Gap and why there needs to be more of an intersectional approach to dealing with it. You would have thought that when people talk about the Gender Pay Gap, they were discussing all women. I myself, imagined this to be true. It wasn’t until I came across the Ethnicity Pay Gap in 2018 and researched the topic, that is when I realised that it wasn’t the case at all.
We also need to look at Equal Pay too. You would think that the discussion about Equal Pay would be about all women too. however, when you review the Ethnicity Pay Gap, it is clear that this is not the case. Let’s take a look at the definitions.
Gender Pay Gap
The House of Commons Library describes it as the difference between the average (median) hourly earnings of men and women, usually shown by the percentage of men earning more than women.
Equal Pay
The EHRC’s definition of Equal Pay; As set out in the Equality Act 2010, men and women in the same employment performing equal work must receive equal pay, unless any difference in pay can be justified.
It is the law and employers must follow it. You are at risk of an expensive employment tribunal case and reputational damage if you do not provide equal pay.
Ethnicity Pay Gap
The ONS (Office of National Statistics) defines the Ethnicity Pay Gap as a percentage difference between the mean and the median gross hourly earnings of the reference group (white or white British) and the comparative ethnic group. However, I would add to this, the Ethnicity Pay Gap is also between Ethnicities. It has been noted those with a Pakistani background may have a larger Ethnicity Pay Gap than those of a Caribbean background.
Equal Pay and the Gender Pay Gap in my view are not seen intersectionally, and the myriad of articles, and media discussions do not seem to consider this either. I have seen many articles using the terms Equal Pay and Gender Pay Gap grouping all women without considering the other concerning issues that may be occurring. What about the male allies in this area, I suspect they too may be unaware of the visible challenges Black, Asian and other minoritised women have to go through. I have seen many posts by men recognising the role they have to play in supporting women and I know it is not just about pay. But those who are allies to women for the purpose of ensuring fair pay should recognise all may not be what it seems for minoritised women.
I wrote in my article yesterday about the need for education when coming to understanding the Ethnicity Pay Gap. I also think there needs to be more education about Gender Pay Gap and Equal Pay. Do people really understand what the difference is? Do they understand what the implications are for Black, Asian and other minoritised women?
This would be a good time to do your own research. Learn more about how you can support Black, Asian and other minoritised women when it comes to pay inequalities.
On the next Equal Pay Day, remember, that it is not equal pay for all women!