econ-dit When we split the bill, who’s really paying?
Words by Maia Hodge 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.
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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.
