Our Shared Shelf discussion

The BBC in the UK have issued details of pay for its presenting "Stars" putting aside the size of these salaries in general once again the men are paid far more than women for doing the same job.

This is a problem at all levels that just continues to be ignored why does society value Men more than Women and how do we combat it.

Well,I don't know why I see it this way,but i guess we should stop seeing them as two different people.And the moment we erase from our mind the boundaries of pride and prejudice,we'll find ourselves in a place called equality.Don't understand why it is so hard to understand.I mean is it that difficult to get over ourselves and our primitive mindsets.

It is a real pity and that too in a modernised country like Britain.I can only imagine how worse it is in India. :(

Actually Ashna in the Indian IT sector women and men's pay is equivocal so you can be proud of your nation.

This maybe because the industry is still new and modern values of intersectionalism (new word) were in place during it's formation.

The UK, the west in general have a long history of devaluing women that we have to get past.

Actually,I might not put the pride that way.Because in india women mostly don't work as equals with men,meaning that out of the 100 people working,only 25 would be women.So that is why they don't find it difficult to pay a few women as long as all the others keep their noses out of the jobs and work day and night in the houses,no better than slaves as I must sadly mention.Atleast there is work equality in Britain.So,which is why I am wanting to move out of india very soon.Because staying here would mean ending up just like all those other women and I am not ready to let that happen.But unfortunately studying from a good UK university will not help me in staying on there to work.So it is very unfortunate that as much as i love London,I won't be able to work or stay here.I always say this,but it is a great curse to be indian and I am very sorry to say so. :(

Since it is 20% in Austria and even if one considers all the factors that justify a higher pay, then we're still up to 12%. It's just ridiculous here, really.

I still have the sheets about the gender pay gap from a university lecture, and they just make me sad.

Ashna wrote: "Actually,I might not put the pride that way.Because in india women mostly don't work as equals with men,meaning that out of the 100 people working,only 25 would be women.So that is why they don't find it difficult to pay a few women as long as all the others keep their noses out of the jobs and work day and night in the houses,no better than slaves as I must sadly mention.Atleast there is work equality in Britain.So,which is why I am wanting to move out of india very soon.Because staying here would mean ending up just like all those other women and I am not ready to let that happen.But unfortunately studying from a good UK university will not help me in staying on there to work.So it is very unfortunate that as much as i love London,I won't be able to work or stay here.I always say this,but it is a great curse to be indian and I am very sorry to say so. :("

A bit off topic, but Ashna, your post makes me feel very sad. It made me realise that we really don't chose where we are born and that it really makes a difference in our lives.

However, I believe that if you really want something, you can do it, and I'm pretty sure you will find a way to leave India and study/work aborad if that's what you really aspire. I hope you will do everything in your power to make that dream come true! :)

Back to the real topic of this thread:

Ashna wrote: "Well,I don't know why I see it this way,but i guess we should stop seeing them as two different people.And the moment we erase from our mind the boundaries of pride and prejudice,we'll find ourselves in a place called equality.Don't understand why it is so hard to understand.I mean is it that difficult to get over ourselves and our primitive mindsets."

I completely agree with you. I don't even understand how you can differentiate between a male and female candidature for a job, just like I don't understand how you can differentiate different candidates by their skin colour. We are all humans and should thus be treated as such, regardless of any physical differences. If only more people thought that way, I think we'd be much closer to removing this "eternal" pay gap (and many other problems, I might add) that still exists in so many parts of the world.

Britt wrote: "Ashna wrote: "Actually,I might not put the pride that way.Because in india women mostly don't work as equals with men,meaning that out of the 100 people working,only 25 would be women.So that is wh..."

Thank you Britt.As I always say,if there is one lucky thing that happened to me,it will be OSS and it's wonderful wonderful people.
<3
#OSSforever

There is a 12% pay gap between men and women in New Zealand

The thing that gets me about the recent BBC pay disclosure is just how ridiculous the wage gap is for doing the SAME job.
Example the 2 BBC breakfast news anchors are primarily Dan Walker and Louise Minchin - Dan Walker gets paid 250k per year and Louise Minchin doesn't even make the list of top earners (i.e less than 150k) WHY Does he get paid more?! Not only do they do the exact same job, but she has years more experience than him - he's a frickin newbie! Makes me very angry.

I thought this was an official BBC document? so i'm not sure how he can say that it isn't true?

Why does Matt Baker get more than Alex Jones?
or Huw Edwards get so much more than Fiona Bruce or Sophie Raworth?
It's all a load of cobblers :)

Jo wrote: "I thought this was an official BBC document? so i'm not sure how he can say that it isn't true?

Why does Matt Baker get more than Alex Jones?
or Huw Edwards get so much more than Fiona Bruce or So..."

The figures have been verified by the BBC they have no explanations apart from the usual lame excuses, it is unacceptable. Interestingly the only viable one experience of the job has not been used because in most cases the female presenters have it over there better-paid male colleges.

Look at Newsnight BBC flagship news show helmed by men and women over different night same exact job description and they don't get the same money.

Added to that given the 1970's equal pay act illegal in the UK. No one has even been prosecuted under this legislation by the way.

Keith wrote: "Just so we know what we are talking about, this is the Code of Practice in the UK on equal pay https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/s...

If I have read this correctl..."

Or its an indication of the inherent sexism at work. To be clear we are not talking about how much someone earns of the course of a career, where factors like time off to rise children come in to play. Though that is a problem in itself.

No this is a contractual matter where people are made an offer for a job with the same qualifications to do it and are offered between 5% and 17% less if they are female (UK figures).

Keith wrote: "Sorry - no wish to bring confusion to the issue.

I was trying to point out, in my cack-handed way, that, supposedly, pay equality issues are governed by a legal framework in the UK and that, as i..."

Normally the job is advertised with a pay range and you come somewhere on the scale however it does not seem to matter if you are in entertainment and have an agent or just and an ordinary person the discrepancy remains the same.

It's the consistency in the disparity that suggests a common cause all things considered the inescapable conclusions is some form or prejudice