Beyond Currency: The Gender Pay Gap Mirrors an Imperceptible Systemic Limitation for Women
Globally, women only make $0.77 for every dollar men earn and are outnumbered in lower-income occupations (UN Women). To me, unequal pay is beyond a defined currency. It mirrors the reality of an imperceptible systemic limitation of opportunities in education and career advancement for women, as well as the burden of society’s expectations regarding women's roles in housework and as primary caregivers, particularly when they have children. To put it simply, women are not yet treated equally to men and have not received enough support in their life choices and leadership pathways. We have to acknowledge this issue. And we have to address it now.
The Gender Pay Gap remains a persistent issue, despite being a topic of discussion for decades. In our pursuit of both equality and equipty, it stands as a glaring example of the hurdles women face in the workforce. Progress, though present, has been agonizingly slow.
The problem is this: the number of women reaching the top of any profession anywhere in the world is not increasing fast enough. The numbers tell us that as women, we don’t have enough role models to look up to. This number undermines women’s desire to pursue what they deserve and compromises their competitive mindset.
Looking back to the old times in Cambodia, young girls were more likely chosen to drop out of school to help their family with housework and earning income, such as working in garment factories. Often, girls and boys did not have the same choices in terms of education and career pathways. While boys were expected to succeed in their studies and professions, girls were expected to commit to becoming full-time housewives, looking after their children, cooking, and cleaning house. This is where the heart of the issue lies: the gender pay gap began and occurs between paid employment and unpaid household work.
Understandably, organizations don’t intend to create pay gaps, but they exist. The common causes of pay gaps include discrimination and bias in hiring, promotion, and pay decisions, undervaluation of women’s qualifications, the motherhood penalty slowing down career progression, underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles, the uncommon practice of paternity leave, and a lack of workplace flexibility to accommodate care responsibilities. Solving the gender pay gap would lead to staff turnover reduction, morale and productivity improvement, reputation enhancement, and company financial gain.
People talk a lot about why we got where we are, so I don’t want to discuss any of this here, even though it's very important. So, the question is: what are the messages we need to hear to improve the situation? I don’t have the right answer. I wish I had. Here are my personal insights and observations:
To each and every individual girl and woman, believe in yourself and negotiate for yourself. I know this is not that simple. But no one gets the promotion if they don’t think they deserve their success.
To families, don’t decide that the girl is the best candidate for school dropout when it comes to supporting the family’s income and household.
To men, it is time to see past your privilege and lend a hand to lift women. Why is this important? Think of the scenario where you are the one handling household responsibilities and performing women’s roles.
To schools, you have to encourage young girls that they can pursue any profession they want. The only thing they have to do is to pursue their career desires.
To employers, feminism appearance isn’t an indicator to decide if the candidate is the right fit for job recruitment and promotion. Maternity leave and breastfeeding, for example, are part of social necessities. The same goes for other types of sick leave.
To society, if I may ask, I would like to see people perceive women as equal human beings when it comes to their life choices. Take off the heavy baggage around the expectations of women. We have to agree that household and childcare are basic life skills, not gender roles—I know this perception will require another cultural shift.
These small steps will change the next generation’s entire outlook on what to expect from individuals. The more opportunities we give to prepare and support women, the larger pool of women will be ready for their professions and leadership roles, contributing to narrowing the pay gap.
Disclaimer: This reflection was initially written for the "Smash the Glass" social media campaign advocating for gender pay gap awareness. It has been adapted for this blog post.
