14 DAY TRIAL // The issue of whether men and women earn the same salary, or of whether they should or not throughout their lives, has long been under discussion. Figures just published by the British Office for National Statistics show that females have finally found a way to earn the same amount as their male coworkers, and that is by staying single for as long as possible.
However, how much money a woman or a man makes is only a matter of choice, the ONS says. Females are not cheated out of their money, as it has been speculated before, they simply choose to focus on other things, like children and family life, instead of their career. As a proof of that, the recently-published figures indicate that the much-hyped pay gap is no longer existent for the 20-29 age segment. It’s after 30 that most women have their first baby and their priorities in life change.
That does not mean that they’re less capable, or should be paid less, the ONS argues. It does, though, translate into a smaller monthly salary, because women, in their desire to combine motherhood and career, turn to part-time jobs. Saying that they are underpaid just because they’re not men, the ONS underlines, would mean ignoring everything else that goes in their life and blaming the system, which, for once, has nothing to do with the choices a female makes.
“It is a matter of choice. People earn the same until they get together, and then they make choices about work, family and lifestyle. That is what adults are expected to do – make decisions. I suspect that in reality the pay advantage lies with women, and I think the whole pay gap debate should stop now.” Ruth Lea, adviser to the Arbuthnot Banking Group, also explains for the Daily Mail, stressing that prioritizing is often behind women having smaller salaries.
With all that, critics still insist that smaller paychecks are a direct sign of discrimination against females. “One of the major causes of the pay gap, beyond the concern about women and men who are paid different rates for the same job, is the fact that they choose low-skill, part-time jobs after they have children. We want to know if that is a genuine choice or a Hobson’s choice based on the limited opportunities available to women to work more flexibly.” a spokesperson for the Government’s Equality and Human Rights Commission states for the same publication.