Wage-setting and gender pay equality in Australia: Advances, retreats and future prospects

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-559
Author(s):  
Meg Smith ◽  
Gillian Whitehouse
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Main Principle ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Wage Setting ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Wage Disparities ◽  
Structural Inequalities

This article re-examines the main principle applied in the pursuit of gender equality in Australian wage-setting systems (equal remuneration for work of equal value) through the lens of a typology of contrasting approaches to gender (and overall) wage equality. It focuses on landmark legislative initiatives and cases over four epochs in Australian wage-setting history, from the first national equal pay case in 1969 to current provisions under the Fair Work Act. Our analysis indicates that there is no guarantee of a progressive trajectory, from narrowly conceived strategies that limit comparisons to the same work, through the revaluation of female-dominated work, to a more comprehensive approach capable of redressing systemic disadvantage. Rather, the Australian pattern has been one of advances, retreats and constantly changing barriers. We argue that although the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value has potential to challenge the reproduction of gender inequalities within wage-setting systems, this is highly contingent on the strategies in place and ultimately requires recognition that wage disparities reflect the accumulation of structural inequalities and gendered practices.

Equal pay, equal access

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Global workforces are still impacted by gender inequalities – there remains a gender gap in pay, in access to roles of responsibility and in terms of work-life balance. A challenge facing gender equality in the workplace is an agreed definition – organizations, managers and employees have different social representations of gender equality and place differing levels of importance on different dimensions. This can affect implementation of gender equality policies in the workplace, which rely on the goodwill of individuals to put policy into practice. Organizations need to recognize which dimensions are most important to their workplace in order to successfully implement equality. Originality The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Narrative Identities and the Egalitarian Norm Among Hungarian Elite Couples

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107-2130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadett Csurgó ◽  
Luca Kristóf
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Cultural Elite ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Political Economic

Our article aims to study the attitudes of the elite to family life and gender equality. This is a social group who still experiences significant gender imbalances. We focus on attitudes to family life, which has thus far been underresearched in elite literature. With the help of the analysis of 34 individual interviews with members of the Hungarian political, economic, and cultural elite, we identify and present three types of narrative identities: dominant, deferential, and egalitarian. The main finding from our qualitative content analysis is that egalitarian partnership norms which were discussed in every narrative and gender equality appear in most cases as a norm among the elite. However, there is a narrative tension between this norm and the couples’ actual experiences of their family life. We conclude our article with some comments on how the ideology of egalitarian essentialism strengthens gender inequalities reinforcing the underrepresentation of women in elite positions.

Gender Inequality in Work Organizations

2021 ◽  
pp. 75-99
Author(s):  
Safak Oz Aktepe
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Work Organizations ◽  
Hrm Practices ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Two Sides

In this chapter, the author aims to present, through a review of literature, that the gender equality assumption of the human resource management (HRM) approach is not taken for granted. It seems there exist two sides of the same coin, one representing the HRM approach and the other representing the gendered approach to HRM practices. This chapter reviews HRM practices in work organizations as the potential facilitator of gender inequalities in organizations. In addition, the contentious function of HRM practices in maintaining gender inequalities within work organizations is reviewed. In spite of knowing the implication of HRM practices on being a gender-diverse organization, there remain few studies on the relationship between HRM practices and gender inequality in work organizations. Such research will add a different perspective to HRM practices and contribute to the awareness related to the gendered nature of organizations and their organizational practices.

scholarly journals Gender Inequalities and Social Sustainability. Can Modernization Diminish the Gender Gap in Political Knowledge?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Roig ◽  
Cristina Aybar ◽  
Jose M. Pavía
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Classical Problem ◽  
Political Knowledge ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Survey Responses

The gender gap in political knowledge is a classical problem of Western democracies. In the 21st century, political knowledge is still unequally distributed between men and women, as many cross-section studies have shown. This is an indicator of women’s disempowerment and the distance which remains to be covered to achieve an inclusive and sustainable society. Could public policies and gender equality laws change the situation? Using a longitudinal database in which 600,000 survey responses are analysed from 1996 to 2017, this case study of Spain aims to shed some light on this question. It combines sociological and political approaches in line with the development theory of the gender gap of Inglehart and Norris (2000, 2003), whose core argument is that modernization changes cultural attitudes toward gender equality. From this perspective, this paper proposes the following hypothesis: the modernization process of Spain (from a dictatorship to a democracy) has given rise to changes in traditional sex roles, driving women‘s access to political knowledge and diminishing the gender gap. This is a step towards achieving objective number 5 of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development (gender equality and empowerment of women and girls), according to which gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Equal Opportunity and Gender Disadvantage

1994 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley A. Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Equality Of Opportunity ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Pay Equity ◽  
Employment Equity ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Ideal

Recently, in Canada both the Federal Government and various provincial governments have introduced a series of measures intended to address gender inequalities in the workplace. These measures are of two basic types. Employment equity policies involve the implementation of affirmative action programmes designed to encourage the hiring and promotion of more women in, for example, the civil service. Pay equity policies have sought to institutionalize the principle of equal pay for work of equal value or, to use the American terminology, comparable worth. The aim of this paper is to resurrect the presently out of fashion view that the principles of affirmative action and comparative worth that underlie employment equity and pay equity can be defended on the grounds that they contribute to the realization of an ideal of equality of opportunity between men and women in Canadian society. This view, although once prevalent among those concerned with gender issues, has been pushed aside, largely because of doubts about the visionary depth of the ideal of equality of opportunity. It has been replaced instead by an ideal of equality of results which emphasizes the goal of reducing the gender wage gap. It is my intention here to formulate a principle of equality of opportunity that can incorporate recent feminist legal and political philosophy in a way that offers a promising way to analyze issues posed by gender inequalities in the workplace and, as a result, provide a clear rationale for the recent employment equity and pay equity initiatives in Canada.

scholarly journals MAKING GENDER A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION - A MISSION (IM) POS-SIBLE IN THE 21TH CENTURY?! STUDENTS OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES AS AN EXAMPLE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ACADEMIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-113
Author(s):  
Sabine Klinger ◽  
Ines Findenig
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Educational Science ◽  
Empirical Survey ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Educational Studies

Higher education is supposed to create open-minded graduates within social topics. General assump-tions about educational science transfer a quiet sensitive picture across in particular gender issues and the awareness of gender inequalities. In contrast to other disciplines, scientific debates about gender issues do have a long tradition, even if not always thematised as such. The curriculum of educational science offers a wide range of so called gender-seminars, where students can spend time on gender related topics and the awareness of gender equality. Women are overrepresented among educational students and regarding to a “new deal for young women” (McRobbie 2009), which may influence the way young woman and men think about the importance of gender-related topics, the question about the relevance of gender and gender issues for the discipline of educational studies often remains vague. According to this following research questions arose: how do students of educational science discuss gender issues, how does a de-articulation form gender issues, and how is rhetoric equality produced among university students of educational science. The data are based on a qualitative empirical survey composed of four group discussions carried out with 14 university students of educational studies from German speaking universities. The aim was to reconstruct and analyse both - an individual and collective - understanding or interpretations regarding gender issues. The findings of this study have revealed that the reflection of gender issues and talking about gender is somehow caught between gender equality, difference and usurpation. This takes into account the mechanisms and masking effects of neoliberal activation. Deliberations about how educational studies can handle these challenges should imply a gender-reflected understanding of learning and educational processes. Key words: gender, de-examination of gender issues, higher education, university students

scholarly journals GLOBALIZATION: DO AFRICAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS MATTER?

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-104
Author(s):  
Elijah Bitange Ndemo ◽  
Ben Mkalama
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
African Women ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Global Order ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Global Commerce ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Even with the increased number of women enterprises and efforts to help women entrepreneurs in Africa exploit the potential benefits globalization, gender inequalities (perception and treatment of women in Africa) still stand in their way.   This paper seeks to address three questions:  First, what the literature suggests with respect to re-thinking alternative analytical approaches to a new understanding of globalization, entrepreneurship and gender equality in global commerce.  This will be followed by the question on how Africa conceptualizes women entrepreneurship and lastly, if the current African conceptualization of women entrepreneurs could precipitate exploitation of opportunities that the emerging global order presents.  The literature suggests that women still have a long way to go in changing environmental forces and perceptions to fully exploit their potential in the global stage.  A new theoretical way of analyzing their progress is imperative.

scholarly journals EU Social and Gender Policy beyond Brexit: Towards the European Pillar of Social Rights

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ania Plomien
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Equal Pay ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Gender Policy ◽  
Equal Work ◽  
Market Driven ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Eu

The analysis of EU level social and gender policies highlights uneven developments and concerns over the EU as not (always) beneficial to social progress and gender equality. The EU, although primarily market driven, has developed a range of social policies, with gender equality enjoying a long-standing status as EU's founding value, dating back to the 1957 principle of equal pay for equal work. Yet, sixty years later, social justice objectives and equality between women and men remain to be realised. Social and gender themes have been revived by the proposal to develop the European Pillar of Social Rights, the shaping and implementing of which post-Brexit UK will not take part in. This initiative entails some meaningful developments for social and gender progress. However, its current form and content represents an adjustment to, rather than a transformation of, the unequal European economy and society.

Water, poverty and gender: review of evidences from Nepal, India and South Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 503-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhawana Upadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gender Participation

Access to water in equitable manner and the improved management of water are imperative to sustainable development, poverty alleviation and biodiversity preservation. Despite much research on gender and natural resources management, there have been only a handful of studies on gender and water, especially those trying to link the two with poverty issues. This paper seeks to fill this gap specifically by looking at the linkages among gender, water and poverty in terms of gender participation in irrigated agriculture and irrigation institutions. The main objective of the study is to examine gender participation in irrigated agriculture and irrigation institutions and to analyze the impact of irrigation projects on men and women. The study approach has been a qualitative and quantitative analysis of primary and secondary data. Key findings reveal a considerable degree of gender inequalities, especially in terms of participation in irrigation institutions. Despite a high level of female involvement in irrigated agriculture, their participation in irrigation institutions is much lower. Furthermore, water projects with gender equality interventions have enhanced women's status in particular by raising their abilities to participate. The results suggest that the incorporation of gendersensitive policies and programs in irrigation schemes could have significant positive impacts both on gender equality and poverty.

Gender Policies and Gender Inequalities in Health in Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laia Palència ◽  
Deborah De Moortel ◽  
Lucía Artazcoz ◽  
María Salvador-Piedrafita ◽  
Vanessa Puig-Barrachina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Current Economic Crisis ◽  
Gender Regimes ◽  
Gender Policies ◽  
And Gender

The aim of this article is to explain the results of the SOPHIE project regarding the effect of gender policies on gender inequalities in health in Europe. We start with the results of a systematic review on how gender regimes and gender equality policies at the country level impact women’s health and gender inequalities in health. Then, we report on three empirical analyses on the relationship between different family policy models existing in Europe and gender inequalities in health. Finally we present four case studies on specific examples of gender policies or determinants of gender inequalities in health. The results show that policies that support women’s participation in the labor force and decrease their burden of care, such as public services and support for families and entitlements for fathers, are related to lower levels of gender inequality in terms of health. In addition, public services and benefits for disabled and dependent people can reduce the burden placed on family caregivers and hence improve their health. In the context of the current economic crisis, gender equality policies should be maintained or improved.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document