Roda Ogunpehin. Msc, BA(Hons), AgilePM, CSTF.’s Post

The recent article from The Guardian highlights a troubling trend: the "motherhood penalty" is worsening, with mothers earning £4.44 less per hour than fathers in the UK, and this gap has increased nearly £1 an hour since 2020. The rising cost of childcare and persistent inflation are making it even harder for women to balance work and motherhood without facing financial setbacks. Women should not be penalised for becoming mothers. The gender pay gap and the motherhood penalty are systemic issues that need urgent attention and reform. It's time to push for fairer policies and practices that support mothers, ensuring they are not disadvantaged for balancing their careers with their role as caregivers. Full article here: https://buff.ly/49LoJQc #GenderPayGap #MotherhoodPenalty #SupportMothers #EqualPay #Advocacy

“A study of the hourly earnings of mothers and fathers, released on International Women’s Day, found that on average mothers earned 24% less an hour than fathers in 2023 – a “motherhood pay penalty” of £4.44 an hour. The analysis – which compares ONS data from January to March 2023 with the same period in 2020 – found that the median hourly pay was £18.48 for fathers compared with £14.04 for mothers.” #GenderPayGap #Inclusion #Diversity https://lnkd.in/eyahdwar

UK mothers 'earned £4.44 less an hour than fathers in 2023' A study of the hourly earnings of mothers and fathers, released on International Women’s Day by Pregnant Then Screwed, found that on average mothers earned 24% less an hour than fathers in 2023 – a “motherhood pay penalty” of £4.44 an hour. While the gender pay gap has been declining slowly over several decades, progress appears to have stalled, and the pay gap for median hourly pay between mothers and fathers had grown by 93p an hour since 2020, a 1.3% increase. An increase in the cost of childcare and inflation since 2000 has made it “even harder for women to have children and earn a decent living”, said Joeli Brearley, the chief executive of Pregnant Then Screwed. “These issues are silently eroding the careers of mothers, and unless they are prioritised by our government and by employers, this pay gap will continue to wreak havoc on women, families and our economy,” she said. https://lnkd.in/eQS8sW5p

PSA: Mother’s Day was last Sunday… But working moms still face a “motherhood penalty.” After millions of women left jobs during the pandemic to shoulder childcare duties, 1M mothers have reentered the workforce since the end of 2021, and last year’s labor-force participation rate for mothers surpassed the prepandemic rate. But biases around job productivity and commitment contribute to an $18K/year pay gap between US mothers and fathers. Studies say the lifetime earnings loss that moms experience is the most significant factor driving the gender pay gap. Get involved in the fight for #equalpaytoday https://lnkd.in/eeDX-ypC Seek your Financial Girlfriend Today! Find the time that you prefer & BOOK NOW…isn’t it about time for a new Financial Girlfriend? https://lnkd.in/gAPRzK2S #financialliteracy #mfgacademy #financialempowerment #effortless #gftalkslearninglab #womenwhocrushit #myfinancialgf #learninglab #relentlesswoman #gftalks #moneypurpose #purpose #gfsgotyourback #futureisfemale #financialgirlfriendspirit #moneylikeyoumeanit

The impact of the "motherhood penalty" varies significantly both among nations and within individual countries. 🌍 In 2024, many women still find it tough to balance a career and being a parent. Worldwide, 95% of men aged 25 to 54 have jobs, while only 52% of women do. This is due to factors like unequal access to education, discrimination at work, and, notably, the predominant challenge of childcare, especially in richer societies. To tackle this problem, we need to use various approaches. ➡ Studies reveal that implementing flexible working arrangements has elevated the participation of mothers in the workforce. To enhance these efforts, additional policies, such as affordable childcare options and paid parental leave, would be instrumental. Research also tells us that countries closing the employment gap between men and women enjoy significant economic benefits. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gJ3uapQq #genderequality #womenempowerment #motherhoodpenalty 

Key Facts to keep in mind when considering who to vote for (Part 5): Women in the workplace 40% of women who aren't currently working said that access to flexible work would mean they could take on more paid work. 77% of all women agreed that they would be more likely to apply for a job that advertises flexible working options. Analysis found mothers earn £4.44 less per hour in weekly earnings than fathers. Mothers with two children take home 26% less income than women without children, whilst fathers see a bonus – men with at least two children are paid 22% more than those without. 61% of parents with children under age 5 said that they or their partner have reduced the number of hours they work due to lack of availability or high childcare costs, increasing to 67% for Asian parents and 75% for parents of disabled children. #Shevotes24 #womenwinelections @SoroptimistSIGBI

It’s the day after Mother’s Day and our analysis of ONS data has found that the motherhood penalty is getting worse! We asked a brilliant data scientist to do some analysis for us looking at the pay gap between mothers and fathers in 2020 compared to 2023 and here we have it. Mothers get paid £4.44 per hour less than fathers. The gap had grown by almost £1 per hour in 3 years. Why has it got worse? Well, childcare is more unaffordable, and less accessible. Meanwhile, we have the worst paternity benefit in Europe and the third worst maternity benefit in Europe. Stroppy business leaders are trying to push us back into the office, whilst high paying ‘greedy jobs’ are dominated by men, because women continue to do most of the unpaid care. Sorry if that’s a bit depressing, but it’s the truth and we won’t get anywhere by pretending it’s all hunky dory. So, thanks for the daffodils on Mother’s Day - but what we really want is equal pay. https://lnkd.in/eYRF9iQq

Is anyone questioning there is a motherhood penalty? This research confirms working mothers earn just 71 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. Also, mothers working full time and year-round outside the home rarely recoup the lost wages, which add up to $20,000 a year, on average. "Despite making major strides in the workplace, as women approach their 40s, they are still more likely to take time out of the labor force or reduce the number of hours worked because of caretaking responsibilities, according to the Pew Research Center. This also results in fewer opportunities for advancement and lower pay — often referred to as the “motherhood penalty.” #genderedageism #motherhoodpenalty #workingmoms #payinequity https://lnkd.in/geBrTBCc

The motherhood penalty makes up 80% of the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap in the UK is higher than the average across Europe. Around 40k-50k women per year will lose their job due to maternity discrimination. How do we address all of this? We need to encourage, enable and support dads to be equal parents from the very start. Parental leave policies and flexible working are key. Currently, the UK has one of the worst paternity leave packages in the whole of Europe. Sharing the parental load has benefits to mothers, fathers and children. However, at the moment, men spend a third of the time women do on unpaid work. Alongside the workplace changes we are working hard to see, expectant parents need to be equipped with the tools and knowledge to be able to have informed conversations with each other, at the right times, to ensure they design their family caring responsibilities in the right way for them. So many parents sleepwalk (literally) into traditional childcare arrangements. But so many more dads want to be equal parents and have a close relationship with their children. Rachel Childs' new book ‘Beyond Baby Talk’ is an incredible book which helps couples have really important conversations. It helps couples talk about values, priorities, work, finances, intimacy and more. I’ll be talking to Rachel about gendered parenting roles, the motherhood penalty and how we can support dads to be equal parents from the very start. 👉🏽 Wednesday 27th March 👉🏽 11am-12pm 👉🏽 Right here on Linkedin Register here: https://lnkd.in/eyssnGh7 #MotherhoodPenalty #WorkingDads #GenderEquality #ParentingOutLoud

A gloomy start to the week after all the positivity of IWD on Friday but that shouldn't stop us talking about this important research on the motherhood penalty. The financial impacts of becoming a mother are lifelong; reduced earnings, in many cases reduced career progression and at the end of our working lives* a smaller pension pot. We should all be talking about this and what can be done to address it! Flexible working that really works and better (and more affordable childcare) are crucial. Added to which an improvement in paternity offerings (statutory or otherwise) will help women better share the caring responsibilities that lie at the heart of this. As the amazing Joeli Brearley says: “These issues are silently eroding the careers of mothers, and unless they are prioritised by our government and by employers, this pay gap will continue to wreak havoc on women, families and our economy." * our PAID working lives, that is! #motherhoodpenalty #equitydiversityinclusion