2. Pay Gap

Some women who can afford choose out sourcing for the work, but it is not a solution for gender inequality, since these occupations are performed by other women in highly segregated labour market at very low wage. The uneven division of labour still anchored in highly stable gender stereotypes. By disseminating collective beliefs on the proper roles of men and women in society, based on natural masculine and feminine attributes and skills, gender stereotypes continue to assign breadwinning responsibilities to men and care giving responsibilities to women (Cunha et al., 2018)1 All over the world, women are more likely to be given the primary responsibility for family care, including the provision of food and caring for the children, elderly and sick family members. In a situation determined by lack of food security and insufficient access to energy, mobility and water services, these tasks can be extremely challenging and time-consuming. Therefore, in addition to material resources, time is also a scarce resource for many women. In many societies the contribution of this kind of labour to the economy and social well-being is underrecognised and less valued than ‘productive’ labour, and often almost completely neglected in economic statistics. The gender division of labour persists even in countries with a high degree of gender equality and a high share of women in the formal labour market.2

2. Pay Gap

Previously, pay gap could be attributed to lower education rates, lower workforce participation, the notion of “feminine” jobs and the lack of legislation pertaining to equal pay, along with a slew of cultural norms about gender roles and attributes, such as women can’t hold power, women are less intelligent, women should be homemakers and women should raise children.

Researchers around the globe have pointed out that increasing the percentage of women in the workforce and ensuring equal opportunities and pay equity can majorly contribute to the economic growth of a country and can prove to be an accelerator in eradicating poverty. According to the Monster Salary Index 2019, the controlled pay gap stands at 19%, where men (₹242.49) earn ₹46.19 more in comparison to women (₹196.3).

The statistics for gender pay gap ratios in countries all over the world echo a similar plight. The #MeToo movement of 2018, which began as an exposé of sexual harassment and assault, cascaded into the analysis of various prominent issues, one of which being gender inequality in workplace, encompassing not only pay inequity but also barriers to advancement and representation of women in leadership. The question remains, if it is not about discrimination, then why are women still being paid less? How gender pay inequity has evolved over the years? historically, there have been fewer women in the workforce around the world, they have been less educated and most of them have been involved in menial/repetitive jobs like in factories or assembly lines. While the uncontrolled or unadjusted pay gap is calculated by taking the ratio of median earnings of all women to all men, regardless of industry, skill level, education or any other type of diverse demographic that can affect an individual’s income.

When one compares the trajectories of the earnings of a woman with kids and a woman without kids, it is evident that the gender pay gap is not as much about being a woman as it is about being a mother (or the possibility of the same). Despite all the awareness and activism around gender equality, one idea that's stayed stable is the one that women bear children, and, at the end of the day - in the majority of places - are expected to be the primary caregivers. In the US, the UK and even in progressive Scandinavian countries, surveys show that only a fraction of the population thinks women should work full-time when they have young kids, whereas the percentage flips when it comes to their male counterparts. Henceforth, the man is most likely to be promoted, while she on the other hand has had to turn down some of those assignments, say no to some of the workrelated travel, and this is where the gender pay gap starts perpetuating.