The Gender Equality Around the Workplace in United Kingdom
INTRODUCTION
Europe is currently experiencing a great challenge in ensuring gender equality in its
workforce. Gender inequality is the unequal treatment and different work distribution to men and
women. The differing rules and criterion in task allocation to men and women breeds inequality
and can easily lead to workforce inequality. Europe has been holding various political agendas
targeted to creating gender equality in every formation of society. Despite much efforts in
proclaiming gender equality in workforce, there is still gender disparity in the European labor
market. This paper aims to discuss the gender inequality and discrepancies which still
widespread in places of work.
Background
In Europe, gender disparity starts at the lower age of sixteen. Women have always been
narrowly confined to work that is traditionally deemed as women’s work. In situations where
women and men work alongside each other, there are procedures and positions for them and men
have always had an upper hand in responsibilities. Women are given lower responsibilities to
handle. (Bryant & Garnham, 2014). The rationale is that men are generally considered to be
more skilled workers in our society and are therefore trusted with higher positions of managers,
foremen and top specialists. A study by Jones, 2017 observes that only a mere 6.4% female
worker are at the leadership positions of CEOs and the remaining percentage i.e. 93.6% is men.
Gender disparities in the labor market production are systematic and constant. The societal
GENDER EQUALITY IN UNITED KINGDOM 3
customs defined by behavioral and environmental perspectives of labor market division have
placed men on top of the rank and women on lower ranks.
The gender discrimination at work
Gender discrimination at work can either be horizontal or vertical. Horizontal
discrimination is where either gender is purposely entitled to different jobs on the basis of their
sex (Garawi et al., 2014). This is where women are given inferior work characterized by poor
remuneration and low job content with no promotions. Vertical discrimination is when women
workers are discriminated through gross income and managerial positions over male counterparts
(Dwyer, 2013; Garawi et al, 2014).
European labor market scenario
EHRC financial services Enquiry of 2009 reports that 75% of professional jobs and 66%
of managers are occupied by men. The work structure in Europe is evidently divided based on
femininity and masculinity. For instance, most women are increasingly working in sales and
retail industry compared to the administrative fields occupied by men. However, recruitment of
women has recently been increasing slow but steadily as most are getting employed at the young
age of sixteen this goes up to their late sixties.
According to studies, Britain has not made any significant progress in improving the
gender inequality at workforce. The gender inequality in business is huge and insistent. Statistics
show that while 56% of male are employed in UK, only 40% of women are still struggling to
find their ways. Furthermore, compared to every five working men in UK, close to ten working
women engages in daily household chores as well as maintaining their jobs. In Europe the
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prevailing rates of women doing part time works, work without getting paid, and significantly
lower pay is much on a higher rate.
Conclusion
Gender segregation in European labor markets contributes to gendered order. Equal
Opportunities Commission suggests that a strict sensitization is required to set gender equality
priorities. UK has the most heinous cases of gender segregation at work. Britain ranks 26 th
amongst 13 countries surveyed in gender inequality at work. Gender equality should be practiced
from the roots as this diminishes the structural coherence of a civilized society. The gender pay
cuts should also be balanced to promote the picture of healthy economy that believes in
providing fair chances to everyone. However, only increasing the salary of the women
employees does not eradicate the problem.
References
Bryant, L., & Garnham, B. (2014). The embodiment of women in wine: Gender inequality and
gendered Inscriptions of the working body in a corporate wine organization. Gender,
Work & Organization, 21(5), 411-426.
Dwyer, R. E. (2013). The care economy? Gender, economic restructuring, and job polarization in
the US labor market. American Sociological Review, 78 (3), 390-416.
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Garawi, F., Devries, K., Thorogood, N., & Uauy, R. (2014). Global differences between women
and men in the prevalence of obesity: is there an association with gender inequality? European