It’s more about ‘deeds, not words’

As we celebrate the role of women in our lives across the globe, today is also a day to reflect on how all of us can improve the lives of women across the globe.

Much is spoken of the determination to shatter the glass ceilings of boardrooms and to see equal representation in the spheres of media and politics. While these remain important and progress is slowly being made; it is in the day to day lives of women where most improvements must be made and where the benefits will be most vividly realised.

Firstly, we must all acknowledge the gaps that exist in society between men and women. From the imbalance in the ratio of men and women who are CEOs in listed companies in the UK, to the amount of women who are rejected for finance when starting up a business versus the male equivalent and finally, the unconscious bias that exists for women who almost always bear the brunt of responsibility for the home – be that in becoming mothers and making sacrifices in their careers, to being presumed as the primary provider of care for children, ill or elderly relatives.

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These barriers have continued to foster disadvantage for women, and it is imperative that corrective actions are taken.

The economic fallout of the pandemic has had a devastatingly regressive effect on gender equality. The virus significantly increasing the burden of unpaid care, which is disproportionately carried by women. Indeed, 46% of mothers that were made redundant during the pandemic cited lack of adequate childcare as the cause and the self-employment income support scheme did not discount time taken for maternity leave when average earnings were calculated. 

Additionally, more women than men were furloughed across the UK; not surprising given that there are twice as many women than men in the bottom 10% of earners and women form the majority of employees in industries with some of the highest Covid-19 job losses, including retail, accommodation and food services.

We seem to be progressing to an endemic phase in dealing with Covid-19 and the economy, both in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK, is showing signs of recovery. However, the benefits have been short-lived due to the major volatility in geopolitics – propelling us into a cost of living crisis with soaring energy and food prices. Unfortunately, this is another example of how, when crisis hits, it tends to be women who are most adversely impacted as they struggle with the impossible balance of increasing their income to meet financial challenges with managing their responsibilities at home.

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It is often said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. In order to cultivate change and reverse the long tail of gender inequality, we need to take a different approach. Frankly, the first step for many in overcoming this starts with honest conversations at home to ensure that there is a fair distribution of tasks and care in the home.

Secondly, we need to see targeted initiatives from the Executive, by prioritising the development of a sustainably funded childcare strategy and in providing support for women to upskill and retrain, in order to give them the confidence and ability to re-enter the labour market after periods of absence.

Next, we need employers to step up and acknowledge that the world of work has changed. Working from home, at least part of the time, is viable for lots of jobs and companies should review their strategic planning in order to facilitate those women who require flexibility to work at home. There is no doubt that employers and companies really benefit from offering such flexibility and it is becoming a vital element of candidate attraction.

Finally, we must also recognise that women often embody an immeasurable entrepreneurial spirit. We know that entrepreneurship is important to the economy for a number of reasons; creating jobs and promoting social change to name just a few. By reducing the barriers and encouraging a greater number of female entrepreneurs to come forward to take that first step, we can empower more women to start a business that fits in with their own lives. Let’s make starting a business to fit your own schedule, utilising your existing talent and resources the norm, rather than having to take unwanted career breaks or reducing hours and therefore income as a result.

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Emmeline Pankhurst’s slogan “Deeds not Words” should resonate with all of us. Focused action on all of these fronts could be wholly transformative in improving gender parity and ensuring that an annual day to mark the role of women in society is a celebration rather than a reminder of unfinished business.