Gender equality

Equal Pay

Equal pay for equal work was a slogan for feminists in the early twentieth century. However, this goal is realistic today, too. In Slovakia, the wage income gap between men and women is more than 20% (in Europe about 17%).

There are many reasons for pay inequality. Besides direct discrimination against women, which is prohibited, a number of factors play a role in pay disparities: women's careers are intermittent, while men's careers are coherent. This is caused by a persistent phenomenon that the burden of childcare and family is almost exclusively placed on women's shoulders.

An important factor is the low number of women in decision-making and higher paid positions due to a phenomenon called the glass ceiling (an invisible barrier to women's career progression).

Another reason is the Gender segregation of the labour market (division into "male" and "female" sectors).

Noticeable is also a greater willingness of women to perform work at a lower position, or for lower pay than they deserve. This trend is related to the persistent perception that a woman does not need the same salary as a man who is the breadwinner.

Task

Compare salaries of women and men you know:

• Who earns more?
• In which professions?