By Dr Sibongile Vilakazi
Women can’t earn the same salaries as men because their men will provide for them. Isn’t this the attitude behind the gender pay-gap epidemic?
Gender remuneration disparities or pay-gap is a global problem that is more nuanced in South Africa because of other layering social ills.
According to information from the Borgen Project, a non-profit organization addressing poverty and hunger, the median gender pay-gap in South Africa is between 23% and 35%, which is larger than the global average of 20%. In the US for instance, the average annual salary of a woman is 83% that of a man, which translates to 83 cents on the dollar.
While in the EU women earned 13% less on average per working hour than men. These differences are driven by nothing other than discrimination or an underlying attitude or belief about women as a group.
In South Africa, a country deeply marked by its high inequality, the extensive issue of gender and race pay gaps remains a distressing reality.
Despite legislative measures and ongoing efforts, the persistent inequalities in pay based on gender and race continue to hinder progress towards a truly equal society.
This inequality is worsened by occupational segregation, where women are often channelled into lower-paying industries and roles thus limiting their earning potential.
The extensive burden placed on women due to societal expectations of care-giving responsibilities compound the issue. Especially because care-giving work is not seen and valued as real work, worth the recognition of payment.
As a result, women’s career interruptions caused by combining work and family duties result in less prospects for promotion, contributing to the maintenance of the gender wage gap.
Unconscious bias and discrimination continue to hinder women’s progress, from biased promotion practices to unequal treatment and biased evaluations.
The struggle for economic empowerment and equal opportunities persists. The racial pay disparity is particularly a striking reminder of the systemic burden that hinders the advancement of other less privileged groups.
Gender discrimination couldn’t be reflected better than in sport, particularly, men and women soccer in this country. The last time Bafana Bafana, the national male team won a Cup was in 1996, while Banyana Banyana, the national female team were recently crowned the Africa champions after winning the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on 23 July 2022.
This was the country’s first ever Africa Cup win, yet the realities about the pay-gap between the two teams are embarrassing and make known the fact that its not about performance but rather other issues of unfairness that contribute to the pay disparities.
The women’s team has been earning R4000 for competitive match draw, and R5700 for a win. This compared to the R30 000 to R60 000 for the men’s team.
In May last year, a screen-shot of a pay slip displaying a wage of R3 566 of a permanent employee of Pick n Pay before deductions made rounds and lifted the lid to the low pay some women at the bottom of the pyramid have to contend with.
Access to quality education and skills development remains a critical factor in perpetuating the gender and racial pay gap.
According to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in 2016, the working poverty threshold was expected to be around R4 317.
More than 6.7 million individuals live on less than R4 000 per month. Over half of South Africa’s workforce earns less than R3 700 per month, with 4.6 million people earning less than R2 500.
For households with a large number of family members, R2 500 would only cover the bare necessities.
To achieve a more equal society, a holistic approach that includes coordination among different role players such as the government, employers, and civil society organizations.
Government can play a significant role in enforcing equal pay laws, backed by strict monitoring and accountability to drive compliance. Employers can play a role in promoting transparent pay practices to deconstruct hidden biases and fostering fairness in the workplace.
Companies should openly disclose salary ranges, implement salary banding, and conduct regular pay audits to identify and rectify any unjust wage differentials.
Employers must actively combat bias and discrimination by enacting inclusive policies, undertaking bias training, and cultivating a culture of respect and equality.
Introducing flexible work arrangements can help level the playing field for women and individuals with caregiving responsibilities. By accommodating diverse needs, such as remote work options or flexible hours, we can enable better work-life balance and reduce the penalties faced by women in their career progression.
We can never over emphasize the power of representation. Diversity in leadership is crucial to challenging existing biases and creating inclusive work environments.
Companies and enterprises should strive to promote and support gender and race diversity in leadership positions, ensuring that decision-making processes reflect the workforce’s different world views and experiences.
Let’s end inequality in our lifetime!
Dr Sibongile Vilakazi is the president of the Black Management Forum
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.
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