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The #genderpaygap goes way beyond issues connected to education. The key causes are: gender segregation in jobs, a lack of flexible work, pay discrimination & women’s responsibility for unpaid care https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/20/teenage-boys-academic-ambition-may-explain-gender-pay-gap-study-says
Women & men are clustered into different types & levels of jobs. This sees women over-represented in childcare, social care, admin, retail & cleaning – all of which are low-paid. This isn’t a matter of simple “choice” – caring responsibilities leave women with little choice.
Jobs which are better paid are rarely available part-time or flexibly – most jobs which make it possible to combine paid work with unpaid work are found in low-paid occupations & sectors. If you have caring responsibilities & can’t find well-paid work, what else is there to do?
Evidence shows that these jobs – childcare, social care, cleaning – are low-paid & undervalued *because* they are done by women. These essential workers have kept society running during the #covid19 crisis. https://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/why-is-womens-work-low-paid-establishing-a-framework-for-understanding-the-caus-620379
Women in Scotland do 68% of housework & 68% of childcare. Gendered divisions in unpaid work remain entrenched across the world. This unpaid labour is still seen as “women’s work” @EngenderScot https://www.engender.org.uk/content/publications/1594974358_Gender--unpaid-work---the-impact-of-Covid-19-on-womens-caring-roles.pdf
On education, across the labour market evidence shows women receive lower returns to investing in their own education & work experience. Girls & young women perform better than boys & young men across education, but they are not rewarded in the labour market.
The #COVID19 crisis has had a disproportionate impact on women’s labour market inequality because of women’s pre-existing inequality https://www.closethegap.org.uk/content/resources/Disproportionate-Disruption---The-impact-of-COVID-19-on-womens-labour-market-equality.pdf
Closing the #genderpaygap needs action across these causes. Tackling women’s labour market inequality is more critical than ever & we need an economic recovery plan that works for women https://www.closethegap.org.uk/content/resources/Gender--Economic-Recovery---Engender-and-Close-the-Gap.pdf
