Prakriti Poddar, Global Head for Mental Health at Round Glass, Managing
Trustee Poddar Foundation.
Despite remarkable growth in female education and a record
number of women elected into the parliament in 2019, the gender pay gap is a
harsh reality in India. A Monster Salary Index survey showed that the gender
pay gap in the country is 19% where women (Rs 196.3) earned Rs 46.19 less as
compared to men (Rs 242.49). In addition to that, the Gender Gap Index in 2020
showed that India slipped by four positions to 112 in comparison to its
previous position of 108 in 2018.
However, it’s not just the financial disparity that is a sign
of concern; studies have shown that the gender pay gap also impacts the mental
and physical health of women.
A Complex
Combination of Factors
Women in the country have to deal with a plethora of complex
issues that range from social stigmas related to their work to inhibited access
to education. The societal norms often force women to take care of domestic
needs, as a result of which they often need to stay at home and look after the
family. Girl children belonging to the lower strata of the society often fail
to get proper education and those who do make it to school are often pulled out
owing to a financial crisis in the family. An Oxfam report published recently
stated that over 23 million Indian girls drop out of school every year because
of a shortage of menstrual hygiene management facilities and toilets in school.
The imbalanced system not only leaves women vulnerable but
sets them back economically. These issues are further complemented by
discrimination and safety at work. Almost 60% of working women in the country
face discrimination at their workplace and 86% of women think of safety as a
crucial factor when it comes to choosing a job, according to a survey conducted
by Monster.com.
Impact on
Mental Health
The pay gap between women and men may induce feelings of
depression and anxiety among women, according to a recent article by Jena
McGregor in the Washington Post. To experience the effects of pay gap on a
regular basis can be taxing for women. Women often feel frustrated due to
unequal pay and when that gets internalised, feelings of anxiety and depression
can kick in. On top of that, women are also found to blame themselves for such
negative circumstances rather than think of it as a fault of the system. This
can further add to their worries aggravating the symptoms of stress and
anxiety.
Apart from the issue of the gender pay gap, women have to
take up household chores, such as cooking, cleaning and caring for the elderly
and children. These “invisible”, unpaid labour adds up to the existing stress
and can take their toll in several different ways. A recent study in 2019
showed that mothers feel that they are solely responsible to take care of their
children and household chores. This feeling adversely affects their well-being,
makes them less satisfied with their relationships and lives and often induces
feelings of emptiness.
How to
Address the Concern of Pay Disparity
The pay disparity is expected to stay for another 217 years
according to the World Economic Forum. So what’s the way forward? Well, on the
part of organisations, it is important to take active steps to train and
sensitize staff about the issue of gender pay disparity and how our biases and
conditioning can influence it.
Organisations should come forward to address sensitive topics
like sexism and patriarchy in their discussions. This will in turn create more
awareness and educate their workforce of the criticality of such issues.
Apart from that, there is a dire need to remove the social
stigma surrounding working women, create safer environments and encourage them
to be a part of the labour force.
Women have always been conditioned to avoid conflict and be
nurturing. However, they must also realise that it is their right to ask for
what they are worthy of without feeling any kind of hesitation or
shilly-shallying.
Conclusion
The gender pay gap isn’t a myth but a reality that affects
women across different continents. Women face wage discrimination across
different industries and it doesn’t just hurt them financially, but emotionally
as well. To better understand the causes and effects, serious attempts should
be made to examine where the economy offers unequal opportunities to women when
it comes to their education, training and career options.
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