How have women’s roles in the workforce changed?
There are three things to consider when distinguishing how women’s roles have changed, they are: participation in the workforce, industry and the pay gap.
Participation in the Workforce
In relation to their participation in 1944 women made up 25% of the workforce and now, in 2015 women make up 45.9% of all employees. Not only is this due to a higher demand for workers but also families were beginning to need a higher income in order to sustain them, and so both parents needed to be employed. Cultural expectations in Australia were changing– there was a shift from ‘a women’s place is in the home’ to ‘equal opportunity for men and women’.
Industry
In the early 1950’s if women were employed there were primarily nurses, teachers, secretaries or domestic workers. Nowadays, women are employed in many more industries.
Participation in the Workforce
In relation to their participation in 1944 women made up 25% of the workforce and now, in 2015 women make up 45.9% of all employees. Not only is this due to a higher demand for workers but also families were beginning to need a higher income in order to sustain them, and so both parents needed to be employed. Cultural expectations in Australia were changing– there was a shift from ‘a women’s place is in the home’ to ‘equal opportunity for men and women’.
Industry
In the early 1950’s if women were employed there were primarily nurses, teachers, secretaries or domestic workers. Nowadays, women are employed in many more industries.
Source: ABS (2015), Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, Feb 2015, cat. no. 6291.0.55.003, viewed 23 April 2015, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/6291.0.55.003
As seen in source A women still outnumber men in health care and social assistance as well as education and training. However the gap between genders for administrative and support services is much smaller. Though the gaps are closing in some work industries, the gap between men and women is still very significant in others, such as mining and construction (as seen in source B). Another area of employment that women are significantly outnumbered in is higher board positions such as directorships.
In the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) of the 200 biggest companies only 13.9 per cent of directorship positions are held by women. As for why this is the case, that is yet to be explained. This is extraordinary considering that recent studies have shown that ‘companies where women hold at least a quarter of the board positions perform better than those with all-male boards’ (Kerin, L., 2015)
Gender Pay Gap
The pay gap between men and women has always been an issue not only in Australia but worldwide. Though the gap is getting smaller, it is still existing and it varies depending on the industry of employment. On average, nationally, women get paid 18.8% less then men, and earn $298.10 per week less then men. However these statistics do vary from industry to industry, as seen in source C.
As seen in source A women still outnumber men in health care and social assistance as well as education and training. However the gap between genders for administrative and support services is much smaller. Though the gaps are closing in some work industries, the gap between men and women is still very significant in others, such as mining and construction (as seen in source B). Another area of employment that women are significantly outnumbered in is higher board positions such as directorships.
In the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) of the 200 biggest companies only 13.9 per cent of directorship positions are held by women. As for why this is the case, that is yet to be explained. This is extraordinary considering that recent studies have shown that ‘companies where women hold at least a quarter of the board positions perform better than those with all-male boards’ (Kerin, L., 2015)
Gender Pay Gap
The pay gap between men and women has always been an issue not only in Australia but worldwide. Though the gap is getting smaller, it is still existing and it varies depending on the industry of employment. On average, nationally, women get paid 18.8% less then men, and earn $298.10 per week less then men. However these statistics do vary from industry to industry, as seen in source C.
Source: ABS (2014), Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2013, cat. no. 6310.0, viewed 23 April 2015, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/6310.0
Images: http://www.workplaceethicsadvice.com/2013/06/are-women-in-the-workforce-the-cause-of-declining-educational-achievement.html
http://www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/post-world-war-ii-1946-1970
http://www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/post-world-war-ii-1946-1970