How can the gender pay gap start at five-years-old?
Picture in your head a neuroscientist.
Picture in your head a dentist.
Picture in your head an electrician.
Picture in your head a lorry driver.
Picture in your head a rugby player.
Picture in your head a child-minder or nursery worker.
Picture in your head a nail bar technician.
Picture in your head a nurse.
Picture in your head a dental assistant.
Picture in your head a HR assistant.
Even if you are tuned in to gender bias and stereotyping you will most likely think up images of men for the first five occupations, and women for the second five. These gender stereotypes contribute to the economic disadvantage faced by women today. We are conditioned by what we see around us, the people we know, the stories we read as children, and what we see on TV and in films. And by the facts.
It is estimated over a third of the gender pay gap is due to women working in industries that are less well paid, and doing jobs that are typically less well paid.
The problem of women’s under-representation in higher-paid industries and jobs starts in early childhood.
A Fawcett Society study found that girls by the age of six are avoiding subjects they view as requiring them to be “really, really smart”. At the Girls Friendly Society, we hear from girls as young as five saying that they can’t be themselves. At a very young age girls are already limited by societal stereotypes and environments that stifle their confidence.
Girls Friendly Society raises aspirations, broadens horizons, challenges stereotypes and develops the skills and self-belief to help girls reach their full potential.
Our programme includes opportunities to meet women role models who inspire girls and expose gender stereotypes. We invite women with jobs who are breaking stereotypes to visit groups, as well as take girls to places where they can see women breaking the mould.
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In February this year, our core programme included fun science activities to mark International Day of Women and Girls in STEM. Many groups invited women in science to their groups to facilitate sessions where girls got to do experiments and be scientists.
Girls Friendly Society's groups for girls in economically disadvantaged communities in England and Wales are critical for girls to reach their potential. Yet the women and girls charity sector is critically underfunded. A recent report from the Rosa Foundation identified that just 1.8% of grants to charities go to the women and girls sector in the UK. Girls Friendly Society receives no government funding and is reliant on the support of organisations and individuals to provide life-changing sessions for girls in disadvantaged communities.
Organisations committed to addressing the gender pay gap can support Girls Friendly Society to give girls the opportunity to reach their full potential. Contact Laura Jones to find out about partnerships, payroll giving, corporate volunteering and fundraising in your workplace.
Girls Friendly Society have speakers available for webinars and in-person talks for #InternationalWomensDay #WomensHistoryMonth and throughout the year. Contact Laura Sercombe (She/Her) to enquire.
Follow GFS on LinkedIn to join our community dedicated to equality for all girls, and providing support needed for the most disadvantaged girls to thrive.
Visit the Girls Friendly Society website to donate and to discover more about the GFS programme and how it enables girls to thrive.
References:
Centering girl voices through programme & impact at GFS
8moSo important to understand how the gender inequity we see as adults is shaped by our childhood experiences of the world - and even more important that young people are supported to recognise and challenge those biases early on!
Career Development Coach | The Recruitment Coach | LinkedIn Top Voice for Careers | Top 15 Coach in London | Speaker | Writer
8moA great read. Thanks for sharing 👏👏 I am pleased to say our dentist is a woman so I pictured a woman straight away for that one!