The gender gap in the workplace is quite large and although the situation has tended to improve recently, the reality is that progress is taking place at a tortoise’s pace. An example of this is equity plans.because only 208 companies in the province have implemented them, which is only 26% of those who had to implement them due to their size.. This percentage of pyrus places Alicante at the bottom of the Valencian Community in this respect, behind the province of Castellón at 49% and the province of Valencia at 31%. Another example of equality still has a long way to go is seen in the management teams of companies. So much so that the number of women, who increased by only 0.4 points in ten years, constitutes 28.9% of the total.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Valencia Community Business Confederation (CEV) presented a report on the level of implementation of its equality schemes this Wednesday. These programs, which companies with more than 50 employees are obliged to comply with, are a series of measures adopted after due diligence. Seeking equal treatment and opportunities between women and men and eliminating discrimination based on gender.
Although it has now increased to 918 out of only 50 companies in the community implementing them in 2020, the reality is that it is still a long way from reaching the 2,600 who are obligated to take this measure. CEV points out that after warning of a lack of comprehensive information due to a lack of registration, the state of Alicante has grown from eight to 208 companies in the same time period. reach the target 800. On the other hand, Castellón has 176 out of 350 companies that should have these plans, while Valencia has 475, 1,500. To the companies that have these equality programs in different provinces, we should add 59 companies established within the Group but not headquartered in this region.
After analyzing the barriers to proper implementation, the employers’ association proposes a set of recommendations that can help improve it. So keep in mind that these schemes are not designed to privilege women or harm men, but to restore the balance between the two. It contributes to the loyalty of female talents and the development of the employer brand, which increases the productivity and competitiveness of companies..
The CEV also recommends that wage registration tools and evaluation of jobs be simplified, while requiring that the identification of areas for improvement be useful and functional, and requiring registration of equity schemes for positive administrative silence. Finally, calls to encourage more women’s participation in negotiation committees, as well as in the governing bodies of business and trade union organisations..
While Carmen Pleite, chair of the CEV Labor Relations Commission, stated that these recommendations stem from companies’ commitment to progress in equality, Elvira Ródenas, General Manager of Labor, who also attended the presentation of the study, underlined: 1,933 companies requested registration of the plan, although not all of them were required to have it..
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On the other hand, Alicante (Ineca) State Institute of Economic Research also published a study this Wednesday. The proportion of women in management or administrative positions in companies increased from 28.5% in 2011 to 28.9% in 2021.. In addition, in this last year and as a result of the covid crisis, female managers decreased by 24.1%, while this rate was 22% for men.
Long-term unemployment has a feminine side
According to a study conducted by CC OO, the labor market situation of women in the Community of Valencia continues to show signs of great inequality. Starting with long-term unemployment, all indicators are negative, as 46.3% of the unemployed have been in this position for more than a year, compared to only 39.5% for men.
The report also points out that the female employment rate is 45.8% and the male employment rate is 57.2%. In the community, there is still a high level of temporary employment for both sexes, but it is higher for women representing 20.9% than for men, which is 15.9%.
The part-time working day is also clearly female, as 26.1% of 885,800 salaried women and 7.6% of men work in this way. In addition, 86.3% of women work in the service sector, only 11.3% in industry, 1.4% in construction and 1.1% in agriculture.