The lower salaries, the women who are scary, which is “not a topic”. All because it is “bad luck to be born a woman”.
There are those who think this is not an issue. There are those who think it should be a topic, because (in 2024) there is still a lot to do. There are those who remember that “it was worse”. There are those who ignore the topic.
A gender equality it remains a subject, a goal. If it is a goal, if it is a objective to achieveit is because it has not yet been fulfilled.
Just last week, the matter gave rise to discussion in Parliament: PSD, PS and Chega carried out an exchange of accusations in the National Defense commission, after a congratulatory vote (from Chega) for the promotion of the first woman to major general in the Armed Forces. THE debate took place… without any female deputy present.
It’s just that “Women are scary”writes Margarida Davim in the magazine . In conversation, a friend complained to the journalist and commentator that “it’s attacked every time you give an opinion“. Many men try to impose an “exercise of power to impose submission”.
In other words, and taking an expression in English, it is a bit mansplaining – a man explaining something to his wife as if she didn’t know anything “because she’s a woman”.
And, in this context, Margarida recalls words from the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, who shot about a month ago: “We should not hand over our responsibilities to women. I admire women, I don’t diminish them at all. But they must be there for us, they must be a great support”. Or Donald Trump’s promise: “Let’s protect women, whether they want it or not”.
There are men, presidents or future presidents, or just ordinary citizens, who think that women are “incapable of deciding about their destinies, needing protection to, of course, serve and support testosterone-filled alpha males.”
Differences to be explained
All this comes with regard to the figures presented a few weeks ago on the difference in income between men and women. For the first time since 2015, the difference increased: 13.2 percentage points in base salary, 15.3 in total salary when we include awards, subsidies and overtime work. You men earn an average of 240 euros more per month; in senior management the monthly difference is more than 760 euros.
Over the course of a year, in Portugal, it is as if women only received , as we compared at the time.
And this study shows that, in 70% of cases, there is no justification for these differences.
Let us remember that the number of female workers in Portugal is almost equal to the number of men.
Being a mother continues to be an obstacle. An employee’s career (and salary) progression is often delayed, or even canceled, when a woman becomes pregnant. And, to this day, many job candidates hear the question: “Are you thinking about becoming a mother?”; but no one asks the candidate “Are you thinking about becoming a father?” – as if the father didn’t also have a duty to .
When the time comes for reform, as women are still most penalized: the replacement rate – the ratio between the pension and the last salary – is 15 percentage points lower for women.
It’s a “bad luck to be born a woman”was heard on , on the day the study was published.
Nobody cares (literally)
Also on the day this study was released – which is National Equal Pay Day in Portugal – he dedicated himself to this subject.
Close to halftime, journalist Manuel Acácio commented: “Do we have a country concerned about this issue? The TSF Forum can be a good example of this: every time I make a forum on this topic… there are no listeners. People are not interested or concerned in debating this topic.”
No one had called to comment. Almost half an hour into the program and no one – men or women – had the initiative to call in to talk about income inequality between men and women.
We repeat: not even women called throughout the first part of the program.
In the small sample that ZAP collected, several women (regardless of age or profession) admitted that this “it’s not a topic” in your conversations. If there are conversations about work, the priorities are different: whether there is money to pay for the house, or whether they should be paid more due to their qualifications, for example.
ZAP contacted, through various means, three feminist associations or movements to comment on this topic. Nobody responded.
“Minority”
“But this is a minority. Maybe they are less conscious women. We cannot judge certain situations, there are people who think in a certain way. Either they don’t read, or they are not interested in society. It’s a minority that, perhaps, makes more noise and seems like they are more than what they are.”
During a conversation with Analita Alves dos Santos – about – the writer recalled that in Portugal there is “many more men” writing, publishing, as well as in other areas of society.
“But I can’t tell you why! It’s not the quality. It’s a little more complex”, added Analita, which reinforces the idea that there is a long way to go.
In literature, there are themes that are covered more by women than men. But most jury members are men, most award winners are men: “Men, when they are in a jury role, perhaps identify more with themes written by men.”
And, in general, he admits that the access opportunities are not equal for women: “Just because we are women. We need to work much harder, to try much harder.”
“Unfortunately, There are people who think it’s not worth it. But it’s always worth it, otherwise things always stay as they are“, concluded Analita Alves dos Santos.
Also writer Cláudia Passarinho thinks that the most important thing is to choose based on quality, whether for men or women. But he emphasizes that “there are points of view that only a woman can have”.
Will it turn the other way around?
There are those who believe that this inequality will end soon.
We are at a stage where there is more women than men in higher education.
In other words, in a few years, there will be (in principle) more women in senior positions and (in principle) women will receive on average more money than men.
It’s not known. What is known, what is known, are the current numbers and current thoughts: “For some reason we are letting back a moldy rhetoric that we thought was buried in a past of horrors”.
“We’ve spent too long ignoring what’s right in front of us.“, wrote Margarida Davim.
Nuno Teixeira da Silva, ZAP //
