Here in the UK, the past year has been difficult for everyone. However, some experts believe that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Amidst fears that the UK risks ‘turning back the clock’ on gender equality during the pandemic, we must remember how far female empowerment has come and how vital it is that we keep the momentum going. From economic empowerment to representation in the media, we’ve seen some serious achievements over recent years. It’s now time to make sure that we keep going in the right direction despite the setbacks of the pandemic. Thanks to new opportunities and tackling stereotypes, we’ve seen a surge in women in the workforce over recent years. According to the Women in Work Index, the UK economy enjoys an annual boost of £48bn from increasing the proportion of women in the workforce. We’ve also seen a decrease in the gender pay gap in the UK year on year. In 2019, for example, the difference between the average hourly earnings for men and women was 15.5 per cent – a great improvement compared to a gap of 27.5 per cent in 1997. Despite this major progress, the gap itself is still undeniable. There is still a long way to go before the UK can boast complete gender equality in the workplace. Encouraging women into traditionally male-dominated industries could have an incredible impact on the economy as well as empowering them. In fact, reducing the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) industries could increase the UK’s economy by £55 billion by 2030. There are many reasons to continue fighting for women’s economic empowerment, and there’s much to be done to continue this positive trend after the pandemic.
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