The leaky pipeline of education policy – a look at the DYW strategy

The COVID-19 crisis has changed society immeasurably. The closure of nurseries, schools, colleges and universities means a generation of children and young people are thrust into completely new learning environments and expectations, with teachers, lecturers and other education practitioners delivering learning support in new and challenging ways.

Close the Gap has been working on education and skills policy for many years and we are keenly aware of the impact of this crisis. We are aware that the rapidly changing labour market will mean that those young people emerging from further and higher education to seek employment will face a significant challenge. Young people bore the brunt of the Great Recession. With young women facing inequality from the moment they enter the labour market the impact of the expected post-coronavirus recession is likely to have a chilling effect on their ability to enter and progress in good-quality work.

We know the COVID-19 crisis is already disproportionately impacting women, from their over-representation in key worker roles, the majority of which are low-paid and undervalued, to the challenges of balancing working with delivering unpaid care to children and older or sick relatives. Our recent report Disproportionate Disruption: The impact of COVID-19 on women’s labour market inequality identified that young women are more likely to work in sectors which have shut down and in low-paid roles, placing them at an increased risk of poverty. These inequalities did not arrive with the coronavirus; gender inequality has been stubbornly entrenched in our society for generations.

It's time to focus on gender inequality

Deprioritising women’s and girls’ inequality at this time is not an option. The need for a sharper focus on its causes and solutions has never been greater. Despite policy aims of tackling gender inequality, progress remains out of reach. But why is this? Why, when we have the evidence, when we know what action is needed, are we still so far from real equality for women and girls?

Gender experts have long talked about the cyclical nature of gender inequality and its presence and impact at every stage of life for girls and women. This is why, in 2014, we welcomed the launch of the Developing the Young Workforce Strategy, which was framed as taking a ‘pipeline approach’ and set out equality as one of its five key focus areas. The strategy came with a series of recommendations for stakeholders covering the journey of children and young people from school through to employment, to be implemented over the course of seven years.

In 2019, five years into the DYW implementation plan we undertook a review of the strategy to examine its action on gender inequality in education, skills and careers guidance, and to identify positive outcomes for girls and young women. This review extended to over 200 documents connected to the work of strategy partners and resulted in over 20,000 words of gender analysis. We have recently published a summary of the review and its findings in a more digestible 12 pages.

Commitments to action from Scottish Government

We used the findings from the review to advocate that Scottish Government and other delivery agencies take a gendered approach in DYW implementation. We’ve worked with Scottish Government officials leading the practice and improvement evaluation of the equality outcomes of DYW, one of the actions in A Fairer Scotland for Women, to share learning from our gender review.

We’re very pleased to say this has resulted in strong commitments to accelerate action in the final years of the strategy’s work. The most recent progress update from Scottish Government commits to work with Close the Gap to:

• Develop a strategic approach to building gender competence in teachers and other education practitioners;
• Ensure the DYW Regional Groups review is informed by gender expertise;
• Develop guidance for employers engaged with DYW on tackling gendered occupational segregation, and build capacity on the importance of gender equality at work in realising the ambitions of DYW; and
• Ensure any new resources developed for teachers and careers practitioners are gender-sensitive and include guidance on tackling gender stereotyping and segregation.

We also recognise that the COVID-19 crisis will have a significant impact on girls and young women currently in or about to leave education. It is essential that future work under the DYW strategy, and on Scotland’s economic recovery planning, responds to this gendered challenge. We will be working with Scottish Government to ensure this is considered as part of its work on COVID-19.

We also welcome the commitment from Skill Development Scotland in its new Career Information Advice and Guidance Action Plan to roll out mandatory training for career practitioners to build their gender competence and to undertake focused work on gender stereotyping with school pupils and parents. Close the Gap has been calling for this for a long time.

Why we need this action

Our review highlights real and pressing concerns regarding the lack of positive outcomes delivered for girls and young women thus far. We found that there has been no substantive action on gender under the strategy, with the majority of activity limited to generic ‘equalities’ focused work which is unlikely to create change. The evidence suggests that work to address gender stereotyping and segregation is inconsistent and not being prioritised. This indicates the strategy’s commitment to embed equality throughout its work has not been realised.

The reporting of work under the strategy can accurately be described as ‘labyrinthine’, with the large number of stakeholders and inconsistent reporting format making it extremely difficult to identify examples of action on gender inequality. This unclear reporting was further exacerbated by the inappropriate progress indicators set at the strategy’s outset. These issues have combined to create a lack of accountability for stakeholders on gender equality.

The two strongest areas of the strategy relate to colleges and apprenticeships. Each of these areas have action plans which focus on gender and equality more broadly, but this has not translated into meaningful progress for girls and young women. In colleges a lack of focus on infrastructure and the culture change needed in organisations remains and in apprenticeships there has been no progress on gender segregation.

We feel that progress has been critically impeded by a lack of actions for schools and employers. In schools we identified that resources developed for teachers and careers practitioners are gender-blind and are unlikely to provide an impetus for action. This is a significant concern as teachers and careers practitioners have told us that they need support to build their gender competence if they are to challenge gender inequality in their work.

At the other end of the pipeline, the recommendations for employers do not engage with gender or equalities at all. This lack of focus on the employer role in tackling gender inequality means that whatever progress is made throughout the education pipeline, young women will still be entering an unchallenged and unchanged labour market and workplace culture.

Moving forward

While the strategy’s pipeline approach provides a range of opportunities for targeted action to tackle the barriers which hold back young women and girls from benefitting from their full potential, it is unsustainable if each stage of the pipeline does not include concerted action to tackle gender segregation. We know that gender stereotyping begins from birth and is further embedded at each stage of the life cycle. If we continue to take a gender-blind approach and fail to build gender competence in those who are in a position to create change, then change will remain elusive for girls and young women.

We strongly welcome the engagement of Scottish Government and other agencies with the findings of our review. We’re looking forward to working with Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland to drive real change for girls and young women. These commitments are more important than ever if we are to move the needle on gender inequality in education and skills, and to look forwards to advocate for a gendered response to the emerging challenges of the current crisis.

Free webinar on gender and economic recovery

Following the publication of our 9 principles for an economic recovery that work for women, Close the Gap and Engender are hosting a webinar to discuss how to ensure that Scotland's economic recovery does not leave women behind. The webinar is free and you can register here.

The coronavirus crisis is having a disproportionate economic impact on women, whose work is work is systematically undervalued in the economy, including work that is critical to the Covid-19 response such as health and social care, retail and cleaning. The cumulative impact of the crisis will push many women into further and deeper poverty.

In the webinar our Executive Director, Anna Ritchie Allan, along with Engender's Executive Director, Emma Ritch, will be talking through the principles and there will be space for discussion on how to ensure Scotland's economic recovery is gendered.

The webinar will be held via zoom, and information for joining will be sent on the day of the webinar.

Think Business, Think Equality: New guidance for SMEs on supporting staff affected by domestic abuse during COVID-19

The current self-isolation and social distancing measures in place due to COVID-19 are exacerbating women’s experiences of domestic abuse as they become isolated in their homes with their abuser for longer periods of time. There is also restricted access to support networks or specialist services such as Women’s Aid during lockdown.

Employers have a key role to play in supporting women who may be experiencing domestic abuse during this period. Line managers and colleagues may be the only consistent contact for victim-survivors and could provide a critical link for accessing support.

Close the Gap has developed guidance for SMEs on best practice in supporting victim-survivors of domestic abuse during COVID-19. The guidance outlines the impact of the pandemic on women’s experience of domestic abuse, and what that means for the workplace, and provides simple steps that employers can take to support employees and respond to disclosures. By understanding women’s experiences of domestic abuse and the way that COVID-19 affects victim-survivors, you’ll be better able to support your employees, and protect your business.

The guidance is a new resource on Close the Gap’s free online self-assessment tool for SMEs, Think Business, Think Equality. Think Business, Think Equality enables businesses to assess their current employment practice and provides tailored advice and an action plan which sets out the simple steps you can take so that your business can realise the benefits of gender equality and diversity.

The new guidance accompanies existing free resources on domestic abuse which includes:

• guidance on domestic abuse and employment;
• an FAQ on domestic abuse and work;
• good practice examples;
• workplace resources; and
• useful links including signposting to specialist support organisations.

Think Business, Think Equality also includes resources on key aspects of employment practice including flexible working, workplace culture, pay and reward, progression and promotion, pregnancy and maternity, and job segregation.

Businesses that take steps to support employees will benefit in a range of ways. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of key people at work means that you’re more likely to retain the skills and experience of female talent. By recognising the potential impact of domestic abuse on employees and their colleagues, you’re minimising the risk to your business.

Delivering workplace equality makes good business sense. Having fair and flexible working practices allows you to attract and retain the best talent, reduce recruitment and training costs, and it makes your business more productive, more innovative, and more profitable. Evidence shows that gender equality at work is not just good for women, but is also a critical driver for improved business performance, and a worldwide catalyst for economic growth. Crucially closing the gender gap in employment is worth up to £17 billion to the Scottish economy.

Find out how your business can benefit from gender equality and diversity. Take the Think Business, Think Equality test on domestic abuse at www.thinkbusinessthinkequality.org.uk.

Want to know more about business benefits of gender equality? Watch one of our 30 second films.

If you’re on the move, you can download the Think Business, Think Equality app for iOS, Android or Windows.

You can read the guidance here.

Without an economy that works for women, there will be no economic recovery

Today, along with Engender, we have launched 9 principles for Scotland's post-Covid economic recovery. The principles are endorsed by Scottish Women’s Aid, One Parent Families Scotland, Equate Scotland, Zero Tolerance, the Young Women’s Movement, the Scottish Women’s Convention, Women’s Enterprise Scotland and the Scottish Women’s Budget Group. We'll be hosting a free joint webinar with Engender on 18th June to discuss the principles and how we make sure Scotland's economic recovery is gendered. You can register for the free webinar here.

These principles develop Scotland’s existing commitment to inclusive growth. They are a set of ideas, challenges, and calls that are rooted in evidence, describing features of an economy that works for women as well as men. They put care and solidarity at the heart of a new economy, which will create better jobs, better decision-making, and a more adequate standard of living for us all.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a disproportionate impact on women. Women are the majority of key workers and many of these roles are exposed to high risk for low pay: women account for 77% of those in high exposure roles, and 98% of key workers receiving ‘poverty wages’. Women are more likely to work in jobs hit by disruption during the crisis, have shouldered the burden of additional childcare and home-schooling as a result of school and nursery closures which makes it harder for them to do paid work, and are more likely to be hit by the predicted ‘jobs recession’. The cumulative impact of the crisis will push many women into further and deeper poverty.

Our Executive Director, Anna Ritchie Allan, said:

“Women’s work is systematically undervalued in the economy, including work that is critical to the Covid-19 response such as health and social care, retail and cleaning. Public investment is central to increasing pay in these sectors. 50 years on from the Equal Pay Act, pay equality remains elusive for many women. Scotland has a plan to close the gender pay gap, but we need bold action on what Covid-19 has exposed, that women’s work is undervalued, underprotected, and underpaid.

“Scottish Government is committed to inclusive economic growth, but there’s a lack of detail about what that means for women. These principles provide a foundation for a model of inclusive growth which will ensure women aren’t left behind.”

Emma Ritch, Engender's Executive Director, said:

“As Scotland enters Phase 1 of lockdown measures easing, economic recovery is a long way off. But in order for that recovery to work for women as well as men, we can’t rely on the traditional stimulus measures that create ‘jobs for the boys’. Covid-19 has been a wake-up call for many about how much we separate the unpaid care our society relies on from our understanding of what the economy is. In fact, care is an economic issue.

“The recovery gives us an opportunity to think about what truly matters to people – wellbeing, community, and solidarity. We need to create the demand for goods and services that will sustain our local economies by investing in public services and putting money directly in women’s pockets. Decision-makers must recognise that the economy and women’s equality go hand in hand.”

For too long the economy has rendered women's unpaid labour in the home invisible and has undervalued and underpaid women's work in the labour market. An economic recovery that fails to respond to the persistent inequalities faced by women in work and in wider society will set back gender equality for a generation. An economic recovery that does not work for women is no economic recovery at all.

The nine principles for an economic recovery which works for women are:

1. Equality is good for growth. The converse isn’t necessarily true. As women and men had different levels of economic wellbeing before Covid-19 that have been deepened by the crisis, the principle of equality and non-discrimination must be core to the economic recovery. Inclusive growth means including all men and women in the process of growth and ensuring that the outcomes of growth are used to meet the needs of Black and minority ethnic, disabled, LGB & T, and older and younger women.

2. Gender-sensitive inclusive growth is about the pattern of growth and not its rate. Repatterning growth means seeing the poorest women’s income rise both along with the poorest men’s and also relative to men’s as a group.

3. Creating aggregate demand should mean cash transfers to women and their dependent children, so that women have money in their pockets to spend on goods and services in their local economies.

4. Inclusive growth means investing in a care economy. Care is as essential to our economy as bricks, steel, and fibre optic cable. Investment in childcare and care for disabled people and older people should be considered as necessary infrastructure for a sustainable wellbeing economy and a good society.

5. Unpaid domestic and care work needs to be recognised, reduced, and redistributed from the household to the state by an increase of accessible, good quality childcare and social care. Within households, men and women should be enabled to do a 50/50 share of paid work and unpaid work.

6. Women’s work in care, cleaning, catering, retail, and clerical roles has for too long been undervalued, underpaid, and underprotected. State and public body wage-setting powers should be used to increase pay in these sectors and improve their conditions of work

7. Economic success shouldn’t only be measured by GVA or GDP but by an increase in wellbeing of the people of Scotland. Gendered wellbeing indicators should take a human rights approach, and measure the extent to which all groups of women and men have an adequate standard of living, including access to housing, social protections, and health.

8. Public spending and revenue-raising decisions shaping Scotland’s economic recovery and the re-set of the economy must integrate gender analysis across budgetary processes. This includes allocation of resources, scrutiny of spending, and outcomes from public finance decisions.

9. Scotland’s economy should be governed by gender-balanced, gender-competent leaders, making decisions based on intersectional gender-sensitive sex-disaggregated data. A healthy economy is one that provides equality for all, including between all groups of women and men. Black and minority ethnic, disabled, LGB & T, and older and younger women must have power to participate in decision-making about their economy.