CHAPTER 4: OCCUPATIONAL SEGREGATION
Introduction
4.1 Tackling occupational segregation, the concentration of men and women in different kinds of jobs ('horizontal' segregation) or in different grades ('vertical' segregation), is a key element of closing the gender pay gap and will contribute to addressing poverty and low pay, which currently have a disproportionate affect on women.
4.2 In 2007, women made up a large majority of the workers in personal services (85%), administrative and secretarial occupations (79%), and sales and customer services occupations (70%). By contrast men represent the large majority of workers in the occupational categories of managers and senior officials (67%), process, plant and machine operatives (86%), and skilled trades (92%) 10. Women also predominate in key public sector workforces such as teaching (92% of primary teachers, and 60% of secondary teachers in 2007) 11, the NHS (78% in 2007) 12 and local government (68% in 2007) 13, but are under-represented in senior positions.
4.3 We know that at school subject choice follows a gendered pattern. For example, girls are more likely than boys to study subjects such as biology, arts and languages and boys are more likely than girls to study computing and physics. These early patterns are also reflected in Higher Education.
4.4 The concentration of women and men in particular professions has a number of causes, which includes social attitudes, both explicit and implicit, that stereotype the roles women and men, girls and boys have in our society (gender stereotyping).
4.5 We need to ensure that educationalists encourage young people 'to be what they can be' and consider non-traditional career choices; that employers draw from the pool of talent and skills available to them so that everyone's skills, knowledge and experience are being utilised to the maximum potential to build a fairer, stronger, smarter Scotland that is able to compete more effectively across the globe and become wealthier for it.
4.6 Addressing the varied causes of occupational segregation is a key part of the Scottish Government's approach to advancing gender equality.
What we said we would do
(Also see chapter 2 on the gender pay gap and chapter 5 on childcare, caring and flexible working)
4.7 To take forward work on tackling occupational segregation the Government established a Cross-Departmental (now Cross-Directorate) Working Group in 2006 and we set out in our scheme the actions the group would take including:
- identifying the key issues that impact on and contribute to gender stereotyping in education, work and training;
- raising awareness and understanding about the importance of considering gender issues and the wider mainstreaming equality agenda;
- to further encourage joint working between the delivery agencies and policy makers;
- to consider where effective interventions might be made across the "life-course" to address gender stereotypes in order to encourage men and women to enter into occupations where they are presently significantly under-represented; and
- to suggest concrete changes that can be made to existing or proposed interventions - where it is considered that tackling various aspects of occupational segregation in the short, medium and long term can be achieved - as appropriate.
4.8 In addition, we committed to continuing to take forward the recommendations of the Women and Work Commission as they pertain to Scotland, and to consider how to address the gender imbalance in the early years, childcare and teaching workforce.
What we've done
Cross-Directorate Working Group
4.9 In 2007, the renamed cross- directorate working group looked at the key issues that impact on and contribute to gender stereotyping in the early years and throughout the various stages of formal education, in vocational training and in employment, i.e. throughout a person's life-course. It also considered the impact of current policies and what more might be done or done differently.
4.10 The group benefited from input from three external group members with expertise in the subject. One of these was a researcher contracted to support the work of the group and she held one-to-one meetings not only with group members but also with other officials from Scottish Government and relevant Government Agencies.
4.11 In March 2008, the group reviewed what had been covered, looked at the wider context (including what was being done in other countries) and focussed on report content.
4.12 There has been a slight slippage in the timescale initially set for reporting. It is now expected that the group's report will be put to Ministers for their approval in June 2008, mapping out the range of factors (cultural, social, education etc) involved and making recommendations for policy interventions that will help deliver change, making cross-references, as appropriate, to the UK Women and Work Commission's recommendations.
4.13 Because of the work of the cross-directorate group, we believe that there has been a growing understanding of the complexities of the subject across those areas key to occupational segregation and career choices. We identified at the start that there would be no 'quick fix' to eliminating occupational segregation. This will take attitudinal change over time.
Teaching, Early Years and Childcare
4.14 We are continuing to explore the issues for teacher recruitment and teacher workforce through our participation in the cross-directorate working group on occupational segregation. To date, the main push in relation to teacher recruitment has been meeting challenging targets for absolute numbers. However, we have undertaken some exploratory work with existing male primary teachers and we are now preparing a business case to support a bid for funding from the central marketing budget to run a paid-for communications/marketing campaign during 2008-09 and 2009-10.
4.15 We are continuing to implement the action set out in Investing in Children's Futures, in order to develop an increasingly professional early years and childcare workforce. This includes sharing good practice on encouraging men into early years and childcare - see update in chapter 5 on childcare, caring and flexible working. The pre-school and childcare statistics 2007 show that there has been a slight increase in the number of men to 3% of the workforce, a 1% increase from 2006. The percentage of the workforce qualified to Vocational Qualification ( VQ) level 2 or above has increased from 71% to 77%, those at VQ level 3 or above was 59% and is now 65%.
Skills Development Scotland
4.16 Ministers are merging Careers Scotland, learndirect Scotland and the Skills elements of both Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise to form a new skills body - Skills Development Scotland, by 1 April 2008. The creation of Skills Development Scotland will:
- promote the availability of access to, relevant, high quality and innovative learning and skills development for the Scottish population;
- advance education and skills development and the promotion of lifelong learning and skills development amongst individuals and businesses;
- provide advice and guidance, including guidance for career choices, to people of all ages;
- provide support to individuals for learning and skills development;
- advance and provide training programmes to build employability skills and of support to employers to develop the skills of employees;
- promote and facilitate local lifelong learning opportunities and the local development of skills;
- foster collaborative partnerships in lifelong learning and skills development.
An equality impact assessment will be carried out on the merger.
New Enterprises
4.17 We know that women are under-represented in terms of starting up new enterprises and set out our commitment to work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to ensure the effective implementation of the Women's Strategy. We continue to monitor the progress of the Women's Strategy, which is still current, with the Enterprise Networks. The target to increase the number of self-employed women in Scotland to 28% by 2009 is on track.
4.18 We have continued to work with the North Sea Women's Network ( NSWN) to identify ways to improve the role of women in the Scottish fishing industry. We are providing funding for a NSWN conference in May 2008 to look at change in fishing communities. The role of women in these communities will be a theme of the conference. We are also in discussion with the NSWN with the aim of providing funding for their attendance at the North Sea Regional Advisory Council.
As an employer
4.19 As an employer, the Government's Diversity Delivery Plan sets out how we will ensure proper and effective representation of women in the Senior Civil Service ( SCS) and feeder grade level. Generally, we are continuing to make steady progress towards our gender targets for the Senior Civil Service ( SCS) and at Band B, although there has been a slight decrease at the most senior levels of the SCS and in Band C.
4.20 To allow our senior women the opportunity to network and help the organisation understand and address issues for women working, developing and progressing in the organisation we have established a Senior Women's Network.
4.21 Our new e-HR system is now in place and will enable a wider range of reporting facilities. Plans are in hand to ensure that all staff complete their diversity information through the system's self-service function. Improved reporting will allow us to monitor and track women at all stages of their career to check for and rectify any disparate or negative effects of any policies or procedures.
4.22 The Diversity Team is progressing the diversity agenda in line with the existing Diversity Strategy. The Scottish Government's Diversity Forum has continued to meet regularly to take forward the actions set out in the Delivery Plan and to report on these to the Diversity Champions Network. In light of the ongoing work on the Scottish Government's wider Corporate and People Strategies, consideration will be given to the timing of a review of the Diversity Strategy.