‘Celebrating women is not enough. We need action’

By Aysha Panter

Last month marked International Women’s Day - a time to celebrate Women’s hard-won rights and reflect on the work we still need to do. Unfortunately, the former is much easier for politicians than the latter. While celebrating women’s progress and achievements is vital, this alone isn’t moving us forward. The government's continued delays and lack of priority on parental leave and the gender pay gap are not only unacceptable, but are actively holding back our economy and impacting thousands of women across Gibraltar.

ECONOMIC AND SYSTEMIC DISPARITIES

The economic and systemic factors contributing to women's overrepresentation in part-time or lower-paying jobs cannot be ignored. These disparities are a clear indication of the deeply ingrained societal expectations placed on women. Two-thirds of part-time employees in Gibraltar are women. The stark wage gap, where Gibraltarian women earn on average 61p for every pound that Gibraltarian men make, further highlights the urgent need for intervention. The public sector's 17% pay gap is particularly egregious, especially when compared to Spain's 8% and the EU27's 9.6%.

One common misunderstanding about the gender pay gap is that it's solely caused by direct discrimination, such as paying women less than men for the same work. While this form of discrimination does exist at times and is a contributing factor, it doesn't explain the multitude of factors that contribute to this issue. One key factor is that women still disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid care work, such as child and eldercare responsibilities. This can impact their ability to work full-time or pursue higher-paying positions, leading to a cumulative effect on their lifetime earnings.

LEGISLATIVE REFORM

One of the most crucial ways to combat the gender pay gap is for the government to finally introduce statutory paternity leave and to increase maternity allowances. The lack of paternity leave perpetuates the gendered expectation that women should bear the brunt of childcare, but also robs fathers of valuable bonding time with their child.

Increasing maternity allowances is equally crucial, and would provide new mothers with the time and financial support necessary to better adjust to motherhood and bond with their child, as well as recover from the often physically demanding experience of childbirth.

ACTION

The time for action is now. Gibraltar's women need more than a celebration. We need concrete, decisive actions that address the root causes of gender inequality. It has now been nearly five years since we were told that the consultation on shared parental leave was at a ‘very

advanced’ stage. It is time we give that topic the attention it deserves and deliver for Gibraltar’s future.

Aysha Panter is a teacher and Together Gibraltar’s spokesperson on equality.