With today being International Women’s Day, the Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance is calling on all Isle of Man Government Departments to start publishing gender pay gap data. In the United Kingdom and many other developed nations, large organisations are required to publish such data on an annual basis – and the same requirement should be extended to Isle of Man Government departments.
“While citizens have a right to privacy, government bodies have a duty of transparency,” said Michael Josem of the Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance. “The Isle of Man Government’s obscurity and secrecy on this important issue is morally wrong, and needs to change.”
Recently, the Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance was able to extract some information from the Isle of Man Government about gender-based pay disparities across the Government.
“The Isle of Man Government needs to rise to meet the standards set across these Isles. Measuring gender pay disparities is a fair and reasonable step forward. Wiffle-waffle talk is insufficient. Instead, it is time to take action,” said Josem.
The global gender pay gap
The global gender pay gap averages around 20% and is caused by several factors, including:
- Discrimination based on gender
- Lower wages in industries dominated by women
- Barriers for women to advance in their careers and get leadership roles worldwide
- Reduced employment opportunities for women due to caregiving responsibilities
- The “motherhood penalty,” which can lead to a drop in women’s wages in the five years after giving birth
- Delayed career progression for women and income insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Unequal division of family and domestic responsibilities based on gender
Transparency is key
The Isle of Man Government should start being transparent about the gender pay gap. This will help to fast-track fairness for all employees and this proposal will be a key stepping stone to achieving public transparency and accountability in Government.
Government units with significant gender pay gaps have been able to escape scrutiny for too long. They have not been held accountable for problems within their workplaces that have led to the risk of women workers possibly being undervalued. This needs to change.
The gender pay gap continues to be a significant issue, with women generally earning much less than men. This is why action to provide greater transparency is essential. Transparent measurement is an important step to closing the gap.
How pay transparency helps both workers and employers
Pay transparency is a powerful tool that provides workers with the knowledge and evidence to identify instances of pay discrimination.
When you have access to transparent pay data and can see that you are not being paid fairly, it empowers you and your colleagues to negotiate for fair wages and pay increases.
The Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance is committed to breaking down barriers against women and promoting equal pay.