In some parts of the world, a woman is still considered ‘inferior’ to men, however bizarre it may sound in the year 2007. Gender inequality is a major crisis in Scotland even today. Reportedly, it could take several years for Scotland to accomplish gender impartiality.
According to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), women are yet to catch up with men on several standards.
A Unison spokesperson has recommended that the Scotland government should take up some measures to deal with salary disparity between men and women in the public services. As found by the EOC Scotland report, in spite of a few instances of improvement, there are still “worrying” discrepancies.
The ‘Completing the Revolution’ report by the EOC suggests that in the daily wages for men and women in Scotland are largely disproportionate, and the gap could take several years to be filled. Women who work part-time reportedly earn 34% less per hour than men working part-time, and the remuneration earned by women working full-time are 14% less than men.
As evaluated by the EOC Report, the income gap in part-time work between men and women would take around 30 years to end, while the income gap in full-time work would take around 20 years.
At home, the ‘chores gap’ is considered as almost without any hope of improvement by the report. The women in Scotland still spend 78% more time on housework than men, according to the report.
The report also suggested the more effort on the part of the State to improve the rate for rape conviction, which is still a hopeless 3.9%.
Rowena Arshad, EOC Scotland commissioner said that Scotland is still a long way from being an ‘equal’ nation. According to her, Scotland was on the verge of a social revolution, but ‘one that was unfinished’.
These startling indicators suggest that the reality of far too many men’s and women’s lives is out of step with their aspirations. Today, most women work, many men no longer define themselves as breadwinners and both sexes often struggle to find the time they need to care for others in their lives. Despite the many advances over recent years, our institutions have not caught up with these changes
- Ms Arshad said.
Glyn Hawker, Scottish organizer for the Unison, greeted the report by EOC Scotland and its complementary campaign, ‘Gender Agenda’.
He said -
The long and painful progress towards equal pay in Scotland’s essential public services must be resolved if we are to have a positive impact on both the pay and the status of women workers. It is 30 years since the Equal Pay act became law, yet ‘women’s work’ - cleaners, caterers and carers, classroom assistants and clerical staff - is still not fairly rewarded.
Mr. Hawker suggested that the Scotland government needs to make funds available to deal with the discrimination between men and women in the public services remuneration.
It is a well admitted fact today that women work no less than men at the workplace. At home, more often than not, a woman works much more than a man when it comes to housework. Progress has been achieved to some extent. However, the world should really be worrying about the fact that issues like ‘gender inequality’ still exist.
It is indeed a matter of great concern that even today, when women have such a strong foothold in the professional world, discriminations regarding salary and basic rewards for labor still remain in some parts of the globe.
Via : BBC
Image Credit : BBC
