A few weeks ago, the BBC published an article stating that based on data they had collected**, eight out of 10 companies pay men more than women. It’s a shocking statistic in this day and age, where women are still fighting for the right to and education, work or even drive.
The BBC found that all sectors pay more to men, with Finance and Insurance being the worst at 22.1% in favour of men, and Accommodation and Food being the best at 1.2% in favour of men.
But what about STEAM? Is there much of a disparity across the arts, science, technology, engineering and mathematics? With the British average standing at 9.4% pay in favour of men, some areas are worse than others:
- Arts: 3.4% in favour of men
- Manufacturing: 7.4% in favour of men
- Science and tech: 14.9% in favour of men
- Information and communication: 16.2% in favour of men
What does this mean?
While STEAM subjects aren’t the worst affected, some of the world’s leading innovators are not trailblazing their way to fair pay…
Microsoft* is currently paying its male staff 6.2% more than women, while Dyson* pays 10.7% more and Google* at a whopping 16%.
But what does this mean? This kind of gap shows that there’s plenty to do in regard to closing the gender pay gap at the very top. However, even the smallest changes can make the biggest difference, so there’s so much you can do to help close the gap.
Is there a gender pay gap in STEAM?
The short answer: Yes – but something can be done about it, and it all starts with you!
- Introduce STEAM and STEM learn from an early age: Obviously this one requires Government support for early education, but if you’re able to showcase what you do to a younger audience, you could be encouraging more girls and women to start looking at creative and innovative subjects
- Offer more female-representation in senior and more well-paid roles: Make sure you’ve got more women in more senior and visible roles. This will have a huge impact in your hiring process
- Offer flexible working practices: Women are still perceived to be the only caregivers, and so if you can’t adapt working styles to accommodate that, you might be turning away bright minds from your business
- Challenge your unconscious bias: It can be so hard to control any unconscious bias, as it’s unconscious, but try to look beyond the name on the CV. Focus on the experience and skills someone has and that could help more women get into your business
* Microsoft Limited, Dyson Technology Limited, Google UK Limited
