Blog

Women, work and COVID-19: the stark implications for women’s poverty

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, poverty in Scotland was gendered. Women were more likely to be in poverty; more likely to experience in-work poverty; and were more likely to experience persistent poverty than men.

Are you a BME woman? Participate in an event to shape solutions to BME women’s inequality at work.

Last year, Close the Gap published research on Black and minority ethnic (BME) women’s experiences of employment in Scotland. We are now developing a set of recommendations for employers to address the problems raised in the research and we are looking for BME women to get involved.

Lockdown on the gender pay gap

The world looks very different than it did a year ago, even a month ago. The impact of COVID-19 is widespread and has implications for every part of society, with specific impacts on women’s labour market inequality and wider inequality.

One casualty of the UK Government’s response to the coronavirus crisis is employer gender pay gap reporting. While this may not seem like a priority in the current circumstances, women’s pre-existing inequality means women are more at risk as they are the majority of frontline workers spearheading the response to the virus and are doubly impacted by increased caring responsibilities as childcare and social care provision dries up. For those women in precarious employment these additional responsibilities are even harder to accommodate due to variable hours and a lack of sick pay, increasing their insecurity in these already challenging times.

Coronavirus brings new focus to women’s continued workplace inequality

The impacts of COVID-19 are being felt by us all, with huge changes transpiring across our working lives and beyond. At this stage, coronavirus is not just a health crisis, but an economic crisis that will have long-term implications. The longer-term consequences will impact women’s equality by exacerbating pre-existing inequalities, particularly where our response is not well-gendered.

Close the Gap research finds that fixed term contracts are amplifying the inequalities and disadvantage that women face in the tech industry

At Close the Gap, we’ve started exploring how automation and the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ will drive changes in women’s experiences of work. To date, despite automation being something of a hot topic, little attention has been afforded to the impact on women’s employment specifically.

New legislation puts gender equality at the heart of the Scottish National Investment Bank

Facilitating changes in policy can be a slow process, and it’s often very difficult to measure your impact and success. So, when your advocacy has a clear and tangible impact, we don’t think it should pass without note!

The detrimental impact domestic abuse has on women’s employment

The 25th of November marks the first day of the 16 Days of Activism for the elimination of violence against women and girls, an international campaign dedicated to raising awareness that violence against women is an enduring social problem.

Equal Pay Day sharpens the focus on pay discrimination

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that Scotland’s gender pay gap had narrowed ever so slightly from 14% to 13%. We aren’t celebrating though because it still represents a lifetime of inequality for working women.

The Living Wage can loosen the grip of women’s poverty

Living Wage Week is an opportunity to recognise the importance of the living wage in lifting women out of poverty and enabling fair work for women.

New Close the Gap research finds flexible working regulations aren't making work more flexible for women

In 2010, the UK Government extended the right to request flexible working regulations to all employees. Close the Gap’s new research, Flexible Working for All?, looks at the availability and uptake of flexible working in Scotland between 2010 and 2015 to identify whether this regulatory change has resulted in increased flexible working across Scotland’s labour market.

Reading roundup - May/June

What a busy few months we’ve had! We supported the #KidsCantWait campaign and called for early implementation of the family income supplement, our Still Not Visible research was supported by MSPs, and our Policy Manager, Lindsey Millen graced the pages of Third Force News to school us all on the gender pay gap. Don’t worry if, like us, time has run away from you; we’ve curated a selection of the essential reading on women and the labour market from the last two months.

Call for participants: Research on managing paid work with caring roles

Would you be interested in taking part in research which will expand the evidence base on the gender pay gap in Scotland?

January's news roundup

January has been a busy month for all of us at Close the Gap: we published the ultimate guide to the gender pay gap, launched our Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme, and opened recruitment for new trustees. If, like us, you’ve earned a break – grab a hot drink while we fill you in on all things women and work.

We are recruiting new trustees!

Are you committed to women’s labour market equality? Do you have the ability to think strategically and creatively? We are looking to add to our fantastic board of trustees.

Launch of innovative new employer accreditation, Equally Safe at Work

We are delighted to be launching Equally Safe at Work, an innovative and world-leading employer accreditation programme that will enable local government employers to advance gender equality and prevent violence against women. This coincides with a debate in Scottish Parliament happening later today at 5:00PM, after Gail Ross MSP lodged a motion welcoming the programme’s launch.

Everything you wanted to know about the gender pay gap

Writing or talking about the gender pay gap can be a tricky business. Whether it’s a piece in a national newspaper, or an informal (heated?) chat at your local coffee shop, discussions of the gender pay gap can cover a huge amount of ground, referencing cold, hard data, social norms and conventions, deeply-held opinions and everything in between. Is it really the gender pay gap you’re talking about, or is it unequal pay? How are these different, and do they interact? Why do different reports in the media use different figures for the pay gap? Is the pay gap even a thing anymore? (Spoiler alert: YES)

EVENT: Still Not Visible: BME Women’s Experiences of Employment in Scotland research launch

Close the Gap is launching a new report, Still Not Visible: Black and Minority Ethnic Women’s Experiences of Employment in Scotland. The research explores BME women’s employment experiences including recruitment, workplace culture, training and childcare.

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