‘Just Getting By’ - Young Women’s Trust
Understanding the current economic and social environment that we live in today is integral to helping people build a future for themselves and to create their own financial stability. At C&C Search, we’re passionate about helping people become all that they can be, and with current world events, now is more important than ever to do this. That’s why we decided to partner with the Young Women’s Trust.
Recently, the Young Women’s Trust (YWT), released a new report, ‘Just Getting By,’ an annual survey which looks at how young women, transwomen and non-binary persons between 18 to 30 years old are coping in the world of work across England and Wales. This year, they spoke with 4,075 young women, transwomen and non-binary persons between 18 to 30 years old alongside a comparison group of 1,040 young men to understand their thoughts, feelings and experiences of the world of work, finances, the state of the current government as well as what their aspirations and concerns are for the future.
In order to create a full, holistic view of the employment landscape and financial concerns for women, the Young Women’s Trust also surveyed 911 HR or recruitment decision makers. This focused on their organisation’s employment practices, attitudes and behaviour towards women in the workplace.
Who are the Young Women’s Trust?
The Young Women’s Trust is a charity focused on achieving economic justice for young women, transwomen and non-binary persons who live on low, or no pay . They provide a range of free services including 1:1 coaching, CV and job application assistance as part of their ‘Work It Out’ program. In addition to this, they also campaign for equality in the workplace and conduct research to educate the general public, businesses and the government and call for urgent change.
What the results show
Over the past few years, enormous strides have been taken to stamp out inequality in the workplace, however, with the emergence of COVID-19, much of the work made has regressed considerably affecting millions of women across the country.
Key Findings
Women in the workplace are still facing significant barriers getting new roles or progressing in their careers, and are still being paid less than their male peers. The research goes on to show that 24 per cent of young women have been paid less than their male colleagues, for the same, or similar work. A further 11 per cent of HR decision makers have seen women being paid less than men for the same work in their own organisation.
In regards to progression, survey participants stated that they lacked support to progress in their roles and found it harder to ask for promotions, often coming up against negative attitudes from their employers.
A more shocking result of the survey found that HR decision makers stated that young women have stronger CVs and are more committed to their work compared to young men, however, 1 in 5 HR decision makers feel that overall, men are better suited to senior management roles than women.
What can be done about it?
If we are to change the economic status of young women now, and future generations, it needs to be a combined effort between governments, schools, businesses and individuals. From education at school to company-level and from transparent pay-gap reporting to government legislation, this will help all of us combat discrimination and improve lives everywhere, regardless of our own personal backgrounds. Research published by Sage in 2014, found that both men and women benefit from a gender-equal society, and found that men who live in these environments have better physical and mental health (plus many more benefits!).
Discover the full findings of the report on the Young Women’s Trust website, and see their recommendations for the government and employers to help improve women’s lives, on their website.
Help us raise £5,000!
We’re on a mission to raise £5,000 this year for the Young Women’s Trust, help us reach our target and donate on our gofundme page! Whether it’s £5 or £50, every donation helps a young woman reach her full potential.
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