Gender at Work

This blog aims to focus on gender and employment, equal pay, gender and organisations, transgender politics, theories about sex and gender, experiences of doing gender in daily life, performing and writing gender. The Blog is linked to the MA module 'Gender at Work' and many of the posts are written by students.

The impact of childbirth in the female workplace

By Chengsi Li

Have women truly achieved workplace equality? Women have made significant strides in the labour market, but men continue to dominate in many sectors. According to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2020, full-time working women in the United Kingdom earn an average of ÂŁ459 per week, while men earn an average of ÂŁ585 per week. This indicates that the average wage gap between men and women is ÂŁ126 per week, or 78.4% of what men earn compared to women. (ONS 2020) This number has increased in recent years, particularly since the passage of the Equal Pay Act forty years ago. (215) However, a significant gender income gap persists. In the 1960s and 1970s, the feminist movement propelled the agenda of gender equality. This prompted many nations to take action to eliminate workplace discrimination based on gender. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are just a few of the many fields in which women are increasingly present in the workplace today. There is currently no difference between men and women in the workplace, as more and more women demonstrate. However, there are also problems with unequal treatment of women in the workplace, including gender discrimination, work-family balance issues, and sexual harassment.

A cartoon where a receptionist informs a man who's just left the managers office "It's nothing personal, he insists on everyone taking a pregnancy test before he employs them".

I would like to focus on the impact of childbirth on women’s employment. This is due to the fact that, unlike men, women will devote more time and energy to childbirth and childrearing. On the one hand, women may be required to devote more time and energy to family and child care.

This may cause them to miss out on career advancement and promotion opportunities. In many cultures, women are viewed as the primary stewards of family life and domestic duties, despite the fact that this traditional division of gender roles is gradually shifting but remains prevalent. (Kan and Laurie 2018) On the other hand, some companies and industries are sexist and may give hiring, job assignments, and promotions preference to men. There may be discrimination against female employees due to pregnancy, childbirth, or childrearing. For some small and

medium-sized enterprises, a female employee’s maternity leave may have an effect on the business. Therefore, managers may frequently consider this when hiring. In addition, certain positions may require intensive labour or extended hours. This may also cause some companies to question whether women are qualified for the position.

A cartoon of a pregnant lady who reads a message on her computer that says 'Fired'

According to the United Nations, the vast majority of countries provide maternity leave in terms of policy and public support. In EU countries, for instance, the minimum maternity leave is 14 weeks, while the maximum is 59 weeks. (European Commission n.d.) There is no statutory maternity leave in the United States, but employers must provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave (FMLA) under federal law. In addition, some nations have policies such as flexible work schedules and child care subsidies to facilitate women’s return to the workforce following childbirth. In the United Kingdom, women are required to take two weeks off prior to giving birth, and maternity leave begins two weeks prior to the due date. These measures are also an effort by the government to maintain fertility rates. Despite the fact that women now have access to these legally protected rights, childbirth continues to have an irreversible effect on a woman’s career. Demi Moore, an American actress who withdrew from the film Elvis Presley due to her pregnancy, and Avril Lavigne, who cancelled her world tour due to her pregnancy, are both examples.

This is also mentioned in the book Making motherhood work: how women manage careers and caregiving. Alongside government and social policies. There are a variety of ways in which women can balance work and family responsibilities. First, create a comprehensive schedule that includes work, household, family, and leisure time. To guarantee that no significant events are overlooked. Secondly, assign household tasks and responsibilities to ensure that all family members contribute. Utilize modern technology, such as shared calendars and to-do lists, to coordinate family life. Work with your spouse, family, and friends to obtain assistance and support. Utilize professional services such as home care and cleaning to reduce your workload. To ensure that important tasks can be completed while avoiding stress and tension, it is necessary to address priorities. To avoid becoming overburdened with work and family responsibilities, you should learn to decline unimportant tasks and requests. (2019 Caitlyn Collins)

Due to childbirth and family responsibilities, women face greater obstacles and difficulties in the workplace than men. In the workplace, however, the disparities that result from the differences between men and women cannot be eliminated.

References

Kan, M.-Y. and Laurie, H. (2016) “Who is doing the housework in Multicultural Britain?,” Sociology, 52(1), pp. 55–74.

Tchermalykh, N. (2019) “Caitlyn Collins. making motherhood work: How women manage careers and caregiving. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,

2019,” Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research, 11(2).

Gender, Work - by tw588