Should women have equal pay and opportunities?

Eloethan

What happens when the man runs off with someone else and the "little woman" is left destitute, with few skills and little employment experience?

Is the OP aware that many marriages break down these days?

Well, if both work (apart from all the work inside a home), what happens if a working woman runs off with another person? I see no difference.

The ony thing that limited my mother's career was being married to an army officer and being constantly on the move. never the less she was a respected teacher and for short while was the Headmistress of a small British curriculum based prep school in Malaya with a high academic reputation.

The Civil Service was very traditional Monica, women weren’t even allowed to work in it once they married until the late 1940s, and according to this article senior staff could not work part time until 1979! When my mum was there she did not have any option to return to work after having a baby. Different times indeed.
www.civilservant.org.uk/women-history.html

Well, if both work (apart from all the work inside a home), what happens if a working woman runs off with another person? I see no difference.

Oh yes there is, unless the woman has worked full time all of her married life. The man generally (not always) leaves the children behind or undertakes a limited amount of childcare; he probably earns a higher salary whereas she, because of child responsibilities has not pursued her career as high as the husband, or built up the same pension pot.
Divorcees are described as the new poor; a comfortable life suddenly upended, loss of home, less income, more expenditure, and much less time to earn sufficient money.
I am aware this is not entirely the case and more women are better equipped for the single life, as are men, but it is a sad reflection on our times.

Norah

Eloethan

What happens when the man runs off with someone else and the "little woman" is left destitute, with few skills and little employment experience?

Is the OP aware that many marriages break down these days?

Well, if both work (apart from all the work inside a home), what happens if a working woman runs off with another person? I see no difference.

I think you are missing the point of what is being said by Eloethan.

She is taking the OP at face value. In which case, many married women would not be in a position to support themselves other than through probably unskilled, possibly menial, and low-paid work.

If a woman's place is in the home looking after the family then she is not going to acquire those skills which lead to a well-paid job, and in the jobs market, would have little value to an employer.

Again - taking the OP at face value - the man, as the breadwinner would obviously have more work experience, more skills and would therefore be able to command a better wage.

In today's world of course, it's a different story. But that was not what Eloethan was commenting on. She thought - as did I because of the way the post was worded - that the OP was recommending that women stay at home after they are married.

Thanks goodness we've moved on from those times when a single woman had to either marry a meal-ticket or find suitable employment as a governess if she was better educated - or become a menial servant to the wealthy if she wasn't.

... "thanks goodness"??

oh my eyes

I meant "thank goodness"

MissAdventure

women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them

If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death.

This one is from the Bible ie.,The Old Testament.

I believe women should have equal pay and equal opportunities. In fact I strongly encouraged my daughter to be self sufficient.
Saw an article regarding inequality in pensions which says among those aged 60-64 (ie my age), nearly two thirds of women have no private pension wealth.

I find that hard to believe, can this be true?

My MIL divorced her husband in the 1960s and at that time, she was working as head of the admin department and she retired in the 70s with an occupational pension and a state pension.

eazybee

^Well, if both work (apart from all the work inside a home), what happens if a working woman runs off with another person? I see no difference^.

Oh yes there is, unless the woman has worked full time all of her married life. The man generally (not always) leaves the children behind or undertakes a limited amount of childcare; he probably earns a higher salary whereas she, because of child responsibilities has not pursued her career as high as the husband, or built up the same pension pot.
Divorcees are described as the new poor; a comfortable life suddenly upended, loss of home, less income, more expenditure, and much less time to earn sufficient money.
I am aware this is not entirely the case and more women are better equipped for the single life, as are men, but it is a sad reflection on our times.

Are you referencing now or 40 years ago?

Now women work outside the home much more, it seems all their married life, and people split childcare upon divorce. Couples - those people typically earn similar salaries now, don't they?

No, Norah they don't, at least not unless they are very well qualified.

38% of women work part time compared with 14% of men commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06838/ Most of them because they have children to care for.

In the UK, the sectors with the most women in employment are health and social work (accounting for 21% of all jobs held by women as of September 2023), the wholesale and retail trade (12%) and education (12%). In the health and social work sector, 77% of jobs are held by women, and in education it is 70%. source: as above.

These are all employment areas where wages are low. Certainly hospital doctors are paid well but the majority of workers in the health sector are not doctors.

Women are still seriously at a disadvantage in the labour market, more likely to be working part time and more likely to be in poorly paid sectors of the economy. Whn divorce happens, they are more likely to end up single parents caring for children than men are.

M0nica

No, Norah they don't, at least not unless they are very well qualified.

38% of women work part time compared with 14% of men commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06838/ Most of them because they have children to care for.

In the UK, the sectors with the most women in employment are health and social work (accounting for 21% of all jobs held by women as of September 2023), the wholesale and retail trade (12%) and education (12%). In the health and social work sector, 77% of jobs are held by women, and in education it is 70%. source: as above.

These are all employment areas where wages are low. Certainly hospital doctors are paid well but the majority of workers in the health sector are not doctors.

Women are still seriously at a disadvantage in the labour market, more likely to be working part time and more likely to be in poorly paid sectors of the economy. Whn divorce happens, they are more likely to end up single parents caring for children than men are.

Interesting.

I've always been led to believe that women, in the last 30 or so years were approaching men in education, qualification(s), and salary.

Our daughters and granddaughters certainly all have far more education/qualifications than me (I have none, they have advanced degrees).

I read According to Trades Union Congress' (TUC) pay analysis, there is a gender pay difference of 14.3 per cent in 2024. TUC represents more than 5.6 million people in 48 different unions. The data says the net average wage for men and women between the ages of 40 and 49 is presently £36,192 for women and £42,900 for men.

It seems to me the gap is smaller than in the past. However a little bit wider than I presumed from thinking of our daughters and granddaughters.

We are an excessively qualified family. In decreasing order DS has the most qualifications, then DH, then me, then DD. We all have at least 2 qualifications.