Assignment

Question 1

Aim one

Answer 1

To investigate to what extent is the gender pay gap impacting the UK economy?

Question 2

Aim Two

Answer 2

To investigate to what extent is the gender skill gap impacting the UK economy?

Question 3

Aim Three

Answer 3

To investigate to what extent has gender inequality been tackled in the UK economy

Question 4

Intro

Answer 4

This report will investigate if gender inequality is holding the UK economy back. The aims of this report are:
I chose this topic as it links to the social inequalities’ unit where both economic inequality and social inequality such as gender inequality are studied.

Question 5

1.1

Answer 5

women are around three times more likely to be in part time work than men. Part time jobs are typically poorer paying with less chances for career growth and advancement.

Question 6

1.2

Answer 6

The report also states that Women are 50% more likely than men to work in low paying jobs.

Question 7

1.3

Answer 7

In April 2014 women in full time work earned £96 less per week than men.

Question 8

1.4 conclusion

Answer 8

Overall, this demonstrates that the gender pay gap is impacting the UK economy as evidence largely shows that women are on average lower paid and trapped in low paid work which has a further negative impact on the economy.

Question 9

2.1

Answer 9

closing the gender skill gap in STEM industries could give the UK economy a 2% boost, equal to around £55 billion.

Question 10

2.2

Answer 10

organisations in the top quarter for gender equality are around a fifth more likely to be more profitable than those in the bottom quarter.

Question 11

2.3

Answer 11

two which shows that 37% of women are overqualified and over skilled in their job. For example, 20% of women in low paid work have a degree.

Question 12

2.4 Conclusion

Answer 12

Overall, this demonstrates that the gender skill gap is impacting the UK economy to a significant extent as women’s skills are being underutilised in the workforce leading to inefficiencies and losses in the economy.

Question 13

3.1

Answer 13

The gender equality debate shows that the gender pay gap is almost zero for millennials in full time work.

Question 14

3.2

Answer 14

many measures have been taken to address gender inequality in the UK such as the abolition of the tampon tax.

Question 15

3.3

Answer 15

that Female participation in the private sector is now equal to male eligible employees at 85%.

Question 16

3.4 Conclusion

Answer 16

Overall, this shows that changes are being made in the U.K. economy to address gender inequality. The evidence demonstrates that the UK economy is gradually becoming more equal regarding gender and holding the UK economy back to a lesser extent.

Question 17

Why source 1

Answer 17

This method was chosen as it contains recent data from 2019 on the state of gender equality in the U.K. workforce. As the data was collated in 2019 it is largely still relevant, and it is the most recent source of government data due to COVID 19.

Question 18

Source one advantage one

Answer 18

One advantage of the government report is that it is an official government document which makes it useful as it was produced to provide the public and organisations which accurate data and information about the state of gender inequality in the UK. This means that with the source is unlikely to lie or exaggerate as is not attempting to persuade or convince readers of the report to adopt a certain view.

Question 19

Source one advantage two

Answer 19

A second advantage to this method is that all the sources are listed in the document which gives the report helpful background information and shows that the facts and figures are true and reliable. The list of sources also allows for further research to be carried out from this resource which makes it more useful. It makes it clear that the data has come from genuine research and has allowed me to cross reference the information in the report.

Question 20

Source one disadvantage one

Answer 20

One disadvantage of this report is that it was commissioned by Penny Mordant who is involved in the cover up of the party gate scandal which degrades the reliability of the source as it was produced by someone known to publicly lie and cover up evidence. The fact that the person who commissioned the report has been found to lie means that they could have lied during this report which makes it less reliable.

Question 21

Source one disadvantage two

Answer 21

second disadvantage to the report is that it was produced by a government linked to a political party. This means that the evidence could have a bias to make the government look like it is tackling the issue better than it is. The report may have withheld certain information which shows the government is failing to tackle gender inequality, and in modern studies it is vital to get the full picture of data and information available.

Question 22

Source one improvement

Answer 22

When using this method again I would check the statistics against older government reports to see what progress has been made. This would allow for comparisons between data to be made which would improve my research.

Question 23

Source two reason

Answer 23

This method was chosen as the book contains a range of information and data on several aspects of gender inequality in the U.K. I also chose this method as the book was available in my school library making it a convenient source of information.

Question 24

Source two advantage one

Answer 24

One advantage of this method is that the book collates information and data from a range of sources such as different newspaper reports and articles from experts. This has allowed me cross reference information which ensures a high degree of accuracy. The range of sources included also allowed for me to investigate the different impacts of gender inequality on the economy which boosted the quality of my research by letting me be selective about the parts of the source I use.

Question 25

Source two advantage two

Answer 25

A second advantage is that the book was produced to educate which means that it is likely to contain useful factual information and unlikely to lie and exaggerate. As the source is a book is will have gone through an extensive research and editorial process which makes it more useful. The ‘issues’ series was produced to educate teenagers and young adults about current issues which means the author aims to provide a balanced and easy to understand manner. This has been useful as it makes the source accessible and provides a non-sensationalist view on the issue of gender inequality.

Question 26

Source two disadvantages one

Answer 26

One disadvantage is that the book was published in 2016, eight years ago meaning that some of the information may no longer be relevant and any statistics are out of date as they reference the period prior to 2016. Some of the topics covered in the book are no longer relevant in 2024.

Question 27

Source two disadvantage two

Answer 27

Another disadvantage of this method is that the editor of the book has edited all the books in the ‘issues series’ which means they are unlikely to be an expert in all areas of the the series. This could mean that key information is missed out or that untrue or unreliable content could of made it into the source as the editor was not aware of it. This decreases the credibility of the source.

Question 28

Source two improvements

Answer 28

When using this method again I would aim to use a more recent resource to ensure all facts and statistics are relevant and up to date which is important in modern studies because statistics and trends are likely to change quickly. This would improve my research as it would provide a more current and relevant perspective of the extent to which gender inequality is holding the UK economy back.

Question 29

Aim one conc

Answer 29

On the whole, the gender pay gap is holding the UK economy back to a great extent as women are consistently paid less and stuck in lower paying positions.

Question 30

Aim two conc

Answer 30

In conclusion, the gender skill gap is holding the UK economy back to a grand extent as many women are overqualified for their position meaning that their skills are potentially going to waste in the workforce. The evidence also shows that women are underrepresented in industries such as STEM which also holds the economy back as women can bring a fresh perspective and new skills to the sector.

Question 31

Aim three conc

Answer 31

Altogether, gender inequality still has a significant impact on the UK. While steps are being taken to address the gender imbalance in our economy and equality is beginning to become a reality for younger generations these factors outweigh the considerable extent to which gender inequality still exists in the U.K. economy today.

Question 32

Overall conc

Answer 32

It is clear that gender equality is holding the UK economy as women’s skills and talents are not being effectively utilised, women are often poorly rewarded for their paid and unpaid contributions to the economy, and women face more barriers to reach opportunities and higher wages. By addressing gender inequalities such as discrimination in the workplace, stigma surrounding male dominated industries, and the amount of unpaid work women contribute the U.K. economy could grow and become more equal.

Question 33

Overall recommendation

Answer 33

One recommendation to address gender inequality to boost the UK economy would be more free and affordable childcare and support show be offered to women to help them to return to work and higher paid/skilled opportunities.