Equal pay day
Today is #equalpayday and it got me thinking about the amazing flash mob that we did in 2017 with Mother Pukka (see the full video here: https://youtu.be/nReaAShAb1w)
Flexible working and equal pay are topics that are not going away; in fact lockdown has highlighted even more the disparity between women & men in terms of how much time they spend in work, looking after children and getting paid for their time.
Today marks the day that in the UK we (women) basically work for free for the rest of the year. Covid really hasn't helped the situation with more women having to leave jobs, reduce hours and be paid even less in the name of childcare. Obviously each person and families situation is different. But overall women are being paid less than men in the same role and taking on more responsibilities with childcare if they become mothers.
Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton & Lilly Tomlinson were spouting (and singing!) about this shit back in 1980 in the film 9to5, and honestly....are we still banging this drum? Unfortunately it's not going away anytime soon.
As Jane Fonda said "Its not a race or a marathon...it's a relay race" and it's up to us (as the women who came before us), to do all we can and teach our daughters (and sons!) and hand the baton over to them when the time comes. But for now we need to fight this fight. No matter how tiring or how many times someone stands on our neck (the patriarchy...Urgh) its important in the home, at work, on social media, in conversations we keep asking for change. In fact..don’t ask. Demand change!
What can we do, I hear you ask?
* The @fawcettsociety are an amazing organization who are fighting for equal pay and for women to have the right to have transparency around pay. Give them a follow and sign their petitions and use their templates to write to your MP.
* @pregnantthenscrewed have great resources for those of you going back to work or currently fighting for equal pay, flexible working and needing support during pregnancy & beyond with your employer.
* @mother_pukka has great information & studies around flexible working and is campaigning hard to make this a reality not just for Mums, but for everyone. A more flexible work life increases productivity, wellbeing and releases pressure on families.
* Speak with your partner or/and support group. Are there ways you can divide childcare and work better? Do you feel you are both equally contributing to the upbringing, care and time with your child/children. Is your partner able to ask for more flexibility?
* Speak to your employer (or yourself, if like us, you are self-employed!) Do you feel able to work flexibly at the moment? If no, how can you change this?
These are all small steps, that If we took collectively would not just make a difference to our own lives, but also to the lives of other women and to the lives of our daughters and future generations. No pressure then!
So lets stop moaning about this or saying "what can I do?" and do something to abolish the gender pay gap and create a world where flexible working is the norm.