Are Female Freelancers Underpaid?
Gender discrimination has been there since ancient times and we as a community are struggling to get through it at present too. Experiencing workplace discrimination is a whole different story. Women all over the world often seen complaining that their male colleagues earn more or they do not get the promotion they deserve. But, have you ever wondered, are women getting their deserved acknowledgment in the gig industry or not?
I know, most of you must be living in fantasies that freelance and on-demand community is the playing ground for skilled individuals, women must also have leveraged from the rapid growth and freedom. However, let me wake you up out of your dreams because this is not true completely. Undoubtedly, your skills are valued here, but men are being paid higher over women. According to Fortune’s report, no the female freelancers, despite of which field they pursue their freelance career are earning thirty-two percent less than men. It is the 21st century, and we are going through great technological advancement and changing work habits yet we are failing to control gender discrimination.
Gender-Based Wage Difference
It is a men’s world, they have been dominating our society since long and gender-based wage discrimination has been in tradition for decades. Even though women have dynamic abilities, men are always nominated for higher positions as they are dominating in creative areas. After suffering criticism and injustice women are now succeeding to make their positions in creative areas but still, they are being paid lower than men.
Let’s talk about the gig industry now, even though women are doing appreciative and comparable work equal to men in same creative fields yet they are making 32% less than man. In fact, equally qualified men and women start their career at a similar position, but men get promotions and receive salary increment earlier than women. Only 5% women are being treated equally to men, whereas rest have to go through an underpaid issue, despite completing work on stipulated time.
Quality of Work
Sometimes women are being neglected over man, but the reason behind fewer wages is not always gender-based discrimination but the quality of work also matters. In the gig industry, freelancers are their own boss and do not have the luxury to have someone to lead them, make policies for them and supervise their work. Women sometime in negligence demand higher pay than their skills and experience.
According to Corinne Mills, who is a career coach, females working in every niche needs to understand that it is not always about the price tag. Being realistic about the market competitive charges is also crucial. Moreover, she explains that there is no need to feel exploited as the quality of work, the relationship with the client and getting repeated work also plays a great role in deciding the wages.
This is obvious that an employer will pay you based on the quality of work you provide. It has been seen that females often consider themselves the victim of gender-based wage difference, but in reality, it is sometimes about work quality too.
Remember girls, the quality of work also matters and if you do not have the same level of expertise as your fellow male bidders then there is nothing to be get offended by; accept your flaws and work towards polishing your skills.
Lack of Knowledge About Market Competitive Rates
Women in the same and related freelance niches need to support each other by forming action groups where they can agree on a baseline pay. They need to understand that even if one of them undercharges the client, all of them would suffer the consequences. It is time for them to do their research, know what their male counterparts are charging for similar work, and rate themselves accordingly. It is crucial that women working in the gig industry stick to their word and don’t cave under pressure to maintain their market worth.
Influence of Women Empowerment
Gender equality is not the fundamental rights of a human being but necessary to be fulfilled to make the world a happy, prosperous and better place to survive. It can lift society towards betterment. When a woman is appreciated equal to men in every domain, she utilizes her skills willingly, and in return, the market value can also see an uplift to build the country’s economy.
In the past decades, females were being neglected in all aspects of life and they have been fighting for their rights and gender equality in every aspect of life. However, things are changing for them slowly and it still requires effort to make them succeed and let them have their due share of wages in the freelance and on-demand community. Women all over the world need to leverage the technology advancement and changing work habits. Moreover, it will help them to realize their worth and work to get through the typical stereotypes that make people believe without knowing that what occupation is best for women and what is not enough for them to pursue.
So, it is not wrong to say that females in the gig industry are underpaid but the reason behind it is not attached to gender discrimination solely as we have presented diversified reasons to help you better understand the situation.
The gig industry is the best place for women to explore their strengths, skills and worth as opportunities are present for people whether male or female on an equal scale. The need is to just target work in an efficient manner that suit one’s caliber best. GigTricks is an ecosystem launching in a phased manner to benefit skilled individuals all over the globe to earn their livings from the luxury of their home without the fear of being scammed.
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