University of Essex attempts to eliminate gender pay gap

The gender pay gap has long been an issue, especially within the highest pay grades. Recent action taken by the University of Essex to eliminate this gap at a professorial level, by increasing females’ salaries, raises questions as to whether one-off salary hikes are a fair or even effective solution to this problem.

Arguably, the act of raising female academics’ pay simply undermines feminist principles by awarding a benefit solely on the basis of gender. But an increase in women’s salaries is a necessity, not a privilege.

Mathematically speaking, such a move is undeniably fair. Unlike some statistics which are skewed by the distribution of men and women across the pay scale, this pay gap occurs within the same grade, meaning that women have been paid less than their male counterparts working at the same job level.

The act of raising female academics’ pay simply undermines feminist principles by awarding a benefit solely on the basis of gender

Factors which might cause wage variations within a pay band, such as performance or length of service, are not affected by gender, therefore the average salary ought to be the same for both men and women alike. So hiking female professors’ salaries fairly balances the averages and eliminates the disparity.

While gender does not impact performance or skill, and any suggestion otherwise is inherently sexist, there are other circumstances which could leave a woman’s salary below her male colleague’s.

Hiking female professors’ salaries fairly balances the averages and eliminates the disparity

Maternity leave, for example, could result in a lower salary due to a missed year’s pay rise. However, this is certainly not enough to account for a professorial level pay gap as high as 14% at some universities.

A one-off pay hike quickly fixes this problem, which, according to Vice-Chancellor Anthony Forster other steps have failed to resolve, but is it really an effective solution in the long term? If gender has no effect on skill or performance, then underlying subconscious or conscious sexism on HR panels must be to blame.

Hiking female professors’ salaries fairly balances the averages and eliminates the disparity

A one-off salary hike cannot prevent such sexist practices or eradicate engrained sexist opinions held by those determining pay. Therefore, if such attitudes and practices persist, the gender pay gap will inevitably reappear over time.

Rather than temporarily fixing the outcome of the problem, we must fix it at its root. We need to eradicate the sexist attitudes which, subconsciously or not, are affecting the outcome of HR panels and keeping women’s salaries lower than men’s.

Rather than temporarily fixing the outcome of the problem, we must fix it at its root

Only when the perception that females are less capable is removed will their performance be accurately reflected by their wages.

– Amelia Ireland