Women of Colour face inequalities at all stages of their life, which is damaging their pay and progression at work, and holding them back from attaining senior and leadership positions, confirmed a new study.
The structural inequalities and disadvantages faced by women of colour in the UK start well before they even set foot in the workplace, confirmed the report carried out by The Fawcett Society, in partnership with the Runnymede Trust. Although it’s common knowledge that women of colour are massively underrepresented in management and senior leadership positions, The Pay and Progression of Women of Colour literature review has revealed a whole life cycle of barriers; proving that this isn’t just an isolated issue at the highest levels.
However, removing the structural barriers and inequalities would not only help to unlock the potential of Women of Colour; but it could also add an extra £24 billion to the UK economy, highlighted the report.
SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
Women of Colour consistently earn less per hour compared to White British men. Pay gaps range from 10% for Indian women to 28% for Pakistani women, according to the report findings. When attempting to enter the workforce, ethnic minority candidates had to send 60% more job applications to receive as many calls backs as White British people. Additionally, just under one-third of Women of Colour say they have been unfairly denied training or development opportunities which would enable promotion. This rose to more than half of disabled Women of Colour (52%).
“This report brings to the forefront the plethora of structural inequalities and disadvantages women of colour face when they are trying to progress in the workplace. It prompts us to think about how a life-cycle of systemic barriers cumulate to impact the pay and progression of Women of Colour,” stated Felicia Willow, Interim CEO of the Fawcett Society.
SUPPORTING WOMEN OF COLOUR AT WORK
Women of colour are also invisible in leadership positions. Although women make up 6% of CEOs of FTSE 100 companies and 35% of civil service permanent secretaries, not a single one of these are women of colour. “This is a vital report that shows how and why women of colour are often invisible in leadership positions across the workforce,” pointed out Halima Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust. “From school to the workplace, there are structural barriers standing in the way of women of colour, depriving them of the opportunities they deserve. Our report shows that these barriers exist across occupations and sectors. This research aims to support the voices of Women of Colour in the workplace; and challenge employers and decision makers to act.”
The report also provides solutions to help educators, employers and government to effectively tackle the life cycle of barriers Women of Colour face in regard to pay and progression. “This review was the first step in collating current solutions; but more needs to be done by government and employers to alleviate these barriers at every stage. Our next stage of primary research will hear from groups of diverse Women of Colour; and we will announce our findings early next year,” concluded Willow.
You can read the full report by clicking here.
Far too many women of colour are ‘still the only’ in their workplaces, according to a recent survey. Click here to read more.
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