As the news filtered through that, despite The Equal Pay Act, employers in this country persist in paying women less than men in ‘like-for-like’ employment, I made a decision to actually try and find out who is at fault.

Here’s the shortlist: 

1. Organisations. Are they continuing to stereotype the women who come and work for them and think that they can get away with placing more value on the men that work within the business?
2. Men. Are men simply more confident in ‘knowing their worth’, and for this reason they own a salary expectation that is far higher than their female counterparts?
3. Women. Maybe they simply don’t understand their worth, and remain content to live and work in the financial shadow of men.
 
Interestingly there are statistics to suggest that more boys and men have special educational needs, as well as a higher rate of depression and suicide.  
 
Women and girls on the other hand, have the power to chat and share problems, and generally find a way of sorting them out.

Boys tend to hide their true feelings and feel they have to behave in certain ways. 

Hold on, maybe I’m stereotyping now…we need of course not to continue the stereotype of women and men, but there are some threads of truth that run through all stereotypes.  ‘Knowing your worth’ however is critical for success personally and professionally… how do we get to know our worth?  

 
The starting point is SELF, having the skills, behaviour and self-belief – being authentic and having the tools to challenge self and others when you use or hear limiting self – worth.

How do we educate others to treat us – what permission do we give to organisations who pay us less than our worth.  Do you get angry and ill and blame others or do you take responsibility and do something about it?

 
 
Karen Murphy

Muika Leadership