A more equal Wales means making women’s employability a priority

People Women in a meeting
ResourcesViewsMay 11th, 2023

Natasha Davies, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research for Chwarae Teg, calls for women’s employability to be made a priority following International Workers’ Day. 

Work, like much of our economy and society, remains heavily gendered. Whether it’s the types of jobs people work in, average rates of pay, risks of being in precarious work or the level of seniority people are working at, gender continues to exert significant influence over people’s experiences. As a result, we still see significant gender inequality across the labour market, leaving women at greater risk of financial hardship and poverty.

Put simply, if we are to tackle inequality, eradicate poverty and realise ambitions to be a more equal and prosperous Wales, then we need to look at how we support women into quality work, and to remain and progress within work.

The question of women’s employability is not a simple one – there are complex and interrelated causes of women’s unemployment and underemployment, and there are multiple policy levers that can drive change. While skills-based employability schemes are an important part of the solution, without action across a wider range of policy areas, we are unlikely to significantly improve women’s experiences of work. Internationally, action to improve women’s employability covers childcare, family leave, inclusive workplace practice, subsidised job creation, careers advice, support and guidance and interventions to support women into STEM.

Data highlights some particular challenges in Wales for women’s employability. Not only is economic activity heavily shaped by gender, but also intersecting characteristics such as disability and ethnicity. Among ethnic minority women, economic inactivity rates are falling, but unemployment is a growing problem. And among disabled women, economic activity and employment remain significantly lower than for non-disabled women and there has been little change since 2019.

Reasons for economic inactivity vary significantly by local authority area, sectors that are central to the transition to net zero continue to see women under-represented among the current workforce and key pathways into the sector. We face a real risk too as ways of working change, of a two-tiered workforce emerging, where the ability to work remotely and more flexibly is available only to those in higher paid, professional roles.

Precarious employment remains a significant issue, leaving women without many key employment rights and protections. Also, unpaid care still overwhelmingly falls to women, affecting whether they are in work and the types of work they are doing.

Given the complexity of women’s lives, there is no simple solution to these problems. In the long-term, we need to be looking across all government areas, applying a gender lens to drive lasting change. However, there are a number of actions that could be taken in the short-term, as part of existing Welsh Government policy priorities, to deliver more equitable outcomes.

To ensure equitable access to remote working, we need to review existing remote working hubs to consider ease of access, the extent to which hubs are being used and by who and how many desks are currently available across Wales under the scheme. Further public engagement to understand diverse people’s needs and experiences of remote working would also be beneficial.

To effectively support those with childcare needs, Welsh Government should make PaCE (Parents, Childcare and Employment) Advisors a permanent part of Working Wales. This will ensure people can access support and guidance to navigate the complex childcare and social security landscape, and that there is support with the cost of childcare for all those engaged in employability programmes.

Furthermore, to ensure a just transition and gender equity in net zero skills, Welsh Government should carry out activities to widen the understanding of net zero opportunities. This would create a broader set of potential learners who could access the Green Personal Learning Account. An action plan for apprenticeships should also be put in place, setting out how gender disparity will be reduced.

Over the past three years, we have faced two significant crises – Covid-19 and the rising cost of living. Women, particularly those from an ethnic minority and racialised communities, disabled women and those on low incomes, have been more vulnerable to the impacts of these crises, precisely because of the inequality we still see in our labour market. Improving women’s ability to enter, remain and progress in work must therefore be a priority.

Tagged with: Women

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