'Today, while official discrimination based on sex is illegal, a gender pay gap persists.
The Office for National Statistics latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings puts it at 20.2%.'
However The Office For National Statistics report 'Gender Pay Gap - Gender pay gap narrows informs us that:
'Although median hourly pay provides a useful comparison between the earnings of men and women, it does not necessarily indicate differences in rates of pay for comparable jobs. Pay medians are affected by the different work patterns of men and women, such as the proportions in different occupations, their length of time in jobs and whether they work full-time or part-time.'Now I have heard that explanation before and could find it very easily in the Office for National Statistics report, so why would the BBC not report it? Does the BBC want to report facts or create a 'narrative'?
why do men and women have different work patterns though? is it because in the tory worldview, woman are expected to stay at home and raise the kids at the detriment of their career, and so are more likely to be part-time?
ReplyDeleteand lets take a look at directorships at companies...50% of CEOs are women, is that right?
or shall we look at MPs, judges, barristers, or any other wealthy, skilled job? women will find it harder to get along in these boys clubs...and so their pay will be lower, because it will be harder for them to advance.
i suppose you're going to say now that the bbc is bias towards women...
do you want to report facts or just bash the bbc?
Ask around your female friends, assuming you have some, do they all want careers or do some want to be housewives and mothers? Women have more of an opportunity to be part time workers not full time, how many men have that opportunity? How many women want the high flying career with the sacrifices that involves?
ReplyDeleteFrom my female friends and colleagues, I know that those who are prepared to put in the effort and the hours reap the rewards and those that don't, know why they do not advance.
I have female friends (and a wife) earning more than their husbands/partners and others who are happy at home doing the mother/housewife thing. I have male friends who are the sole breadwinner because their wife/partner made the choice to be a mother/housewife and male friends whose wives/partners work. It' a mixed world out there, take off your blinkers and look around.
I think that the BBC is generally biased in favour of the right sort of feminist. But that much of the media is biased against maleness if not men.
Do you want to use facts or just blindly support the BBC?
I know its a 'mixed world out there'! Don't worry. I know women like to have babies. But in a truly equal society, women could do both and I'm sure those that currently do manage to get to the tops of the various trees manage, on balance.
ReplyDeleteI dont agree that any woman can get ahead through hard work alone, but maybe we live in different neighbourhoods.
If the BBC is biased to the right sort of feminist, whatever that means, I'm sure its probably reflective of society's bias towards feminism. I mean, we're all feminists now arent we? Or at least, its the prevailing moral code, that emanicipation of women is a good thing? So why the glass ceilings? Come on, get with the program!
Anyway, I dont support the BBC, but I do find your attacks on them hilarious. Please, keep writing about them.
You seem to think that a woman who has a baby always wants to 'have it all' i am sorry but that 'ain't necessarily so'. I know some women with children who are as commited to their careers as any man and get to the top of their professions as a result. I also know women who whilst committed before having a child, then decided that they wanted to step down the work effort and so did not rise as high at work as they should.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that not 'any woman can get ahead through hard work alone', but then that is true for men alone. Achieving success in most fields requires hard work and a lot of people are not prepared to put in the work or decide that there are more enjoyable things to do (such as raising children) and so settle for a job not a careeer.
To me feminism means equality of opportunity for women who are willing to compete on a level payingfield with men. For the BBC it often means that there should positive discrimination to redress imbalance.
I am glad you find my pieces amusing, I aim to please ;-)