Gender Equality

There is a lot of discussion around pay equity, and representation of women in politics and in corporations (CEOs, board members, etc).

When you look at it logically, without emotion, several things become clear:

• In business women are equally as capable (and perhaps better, if we could look at data from the future)
• Because of biology, women are the ones giving birth, and are more nurturing
• Punctuations in a career affects advancement

Basically, if you take 5 years off work to look after your babies, your current knowledge and total experience both lessen, and that affects your ability to get top roles, versus men who have not taken leave.

There is also a genuine gender bias, because men at the top are used to having everyone else at the top being men. We would like to think that will run out of steam soon.

The Japanese method – never see your kids and work on your career – is not palatable to most Australians.

So, we are left with women who want to spend time with their babies, and a lack of women in top roles.

There is only one solution – a work/life balance where new mums are still attached to their role, but not full-time.

(Rob talking here…) As a former stay-at-home Dad, I am fully aware of what it takes to raise a child. During that time I was also a successful entrepreneur, working from home. I know achieving both is possible, but I don’t know how many people are able to do that, or want to.

Solution: A balance. Rather than full-time childcare and a full-time career, how about a 15-hour work week, while still mostly looking after your kids. With government funding and encouragement. Women (or men, of course) can still keep their “hand in” at work, and raise their kids. And, in my experience, that 15 hours would seem like a refreshing break from looking after kids – I would expect performance in those few hours to be through the roof.

Policy 1 – government-subsided* work from home, part-time, for new parents. Optional for the parents. Better for gender equality, and cheaper for businesses than pure parental leave.
Policy 2 – fund a study into the countries that have achieved more gender equality and form a plan around common factors. Rwanda is at #4 on the list, so surely we can improve.

*Either by way of free childcare with limits (say 15 hours), or increased pay. The former keeps the focus on the policy. The employer gets to choose whether the option is available. It often won’t suit.