Discrimination against women

Discrimination is defined as any type of unjustified unfair or unequal treatment of individual persons or groups on the basis of perceivable or not immediately perceivable characteristics. The perceivable characteristics also include gender, in particular. There are a variety of ways in which women are discriminated against. These range from being disadvantaged in the area of education to inequalities during the hiring of new staff and to the abilities of female colleagues being underestimated. Further issues include the lack of legislation and protective measures for women, poor health care, and a lack of suitable representation for women at the political level.

At the international level, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an important cornerstone for the equality of women. The CEDAW was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 18 December 1979. The main objectives include the elimination of discrimination in political and public life as well as in health care; protection against violence; and the fight against different types of discrimination, for example at work, socially, with regard to marriage and family, but also in the area of education and training.

Regarding the situation at the workplace, the discrimination of women often occurs in connection with marital status or the presence of children. Sexual and gender-related harassment also falls into the category of discrimination.

Women in Austria have very widespread experience with discrimination. According to a study carried out by SORA for the Vienna Chamber of Labour in 2018, 46% of all women who participated in the survey felt that they had been discriminated against in at least one area of life during the preceding three years, and about a third of them believed it was clearly on the basis of their gender. Indirect discrimination, in particular, is often not recognised as such. An example of this is management positions not being available for part-time employees. Since the majority of part-time workers are women, this is an indirect form of discrimination.

The necessity to differentiate between “real discrimination” and “experienced discrimination” is an interesting aspect of the topic regarding the discrimination of women. Younger women, in particular, often have little understanding of so-called feminist politics. This may be due to the tendency to attribute successes and failures more strongly to the individual, because personal responsibility and self-determination are becoming more important in our society. The perception of structural discrimination is therefore receding into the background; those affected often view the discriminatory act only as an individual incident at a direct interpersonal level.

No equal opportunities without education

Discrimination in the area of education has a particularly negative impact on the lives of women. For without education, it is not possible for women to achieve equal opportunities between the genders, to lead a self-determined life, or to get involved in social processes. The better the education and training of a woman is, the higher her chances are of finding an appealing, well-paid job. Investing in the education of girls can ultimately help to change structures, both globally and at a local level. The economic development of a country benefits from the training of girls and women.

Gender pay gap: Why women earn less…

One result of several of the already mentioned aspects of inequality at a social level is the existence of the so-called gender pay gap – the gender-specific wage differential at a corporate level. There are a variety of factors that may serve as an explanation for the wage differential, for example labour market segregation. Other factors such as discrimination or even part-time work are possible starting points in the search for an explanation for the gender pay gap within companies – especially between employees at the same pay grade. Women make more frequent use of offers for part-time work than men, even though companies have increased such offers in general in recent times. Across the EU, about 30% of working women occupy part-time positions, while 92% of working men have full-time positions.*

Despite all these searches for possible explanations for the gender pay gap, the lower wages are often the result of disregard for the female workforce. Consequently, if a man earns more than a woman although they have the same qualifications and deliver the same quality of work, this is discrimination, and this is also responsible for the gender pay gap.

*European Parliament, 2020

Another important aspect in the unequal treatment of women is the attitude towards productive and reproductive work. So-called reproductive work – bringing up and raising children – is necessary in order to maintain society as well as the workforce, and is traditionally performed by women. Despite the fact that this activity is described as “work”, there are no models for its remuneration. Women are essentially tasked with the duties of assistants, nurses, and housewives. In the last few years and decades, the organisation of reproductive work has changed as many women obtained gainful employment and reproductive work therefore often moved towards paid activities, such as in the area of childcare, domestic help, and homes for senior citizens. These activities are largely carried out by women and are often lower paid than professions which are male-dominated in terms of numbers. Despite being paid for working, women often bear a double burden as they frequently need to take care of children, the household, and the elderly.

For an employer, showing appreciation for reproductive work and eliminating discrimination can mean offering free day-care centres and paying higher salaries for part-time employees who perform reproductive work.

… and why women pay more

“Pink tax” is understood as the surcharge paid for products and services that are aimed at female consumers versus equivalent offers for male consumers. In particular, many products for daily use, such as personal care products, are marketed in a gender-specific manner. In connection with the pink tax, the marketing of a product or service for women or girls may be supported by the product name itself, by special attributes such as “for women”, by the packaging, or by placements in shops or on Internet platforms. In the case of the packaging, the colour, shape, and also the images play an important role.

In the services sector, the prices of hairdressing salons and dry cleaners are good examples of a pink tax. For an entirely equivalent service at the hairdresser – wash, cut, and dry in connection with a short hairstyle – the price is 11 euros higher on average for women than it is for men.*

One reason for the existence of the pink tax is a lower price sensitivity on the part of women when expenses for their outward appearance are involved. Shaving products and perfumes are examples of product categories characterised by large surcharges to the detriment of female consumers. The extent of the price differences also usually cannot be justified on the basis of slightly different formulas and ingredients.

The existence and extent of the pink tax has led to legislative action as well as to numerous public statements in the world of media.

In conclusion, it can be said that the described, clear injustices towards women affect many different areas of their lives. In some areas, there are already approaches towards establishing equality between genders such as the regulation for supervisory boards or the equal treatment law – however, these have often only been implemented very reluctantly or even ignored in some cases. In recent times, however, the awareness regarding issues surrounding discrimination against women seems to be growing steadily, and it appears to have found its rightful place in the debate about justice in the broader sense.

*Schönpflug/Eberhardt 2019

Mag. Wolfgang Pinner
Head of Responsible Investment at Raiffeisen KAG