According to a recent report published by the House of Commons, Asian women are affected by unemployment. The stats given are cited in the “Unemployment by ethnic background” Briefing paper and House of commons library as indicated below (Aug 2020). The unemployment rate is higher for women from a minority ethnic background (7.1%) than for men (6.7% ). The unemployment rate was highest for women from a Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic background at around 9.8%, compared to an overall female unemployment rate of 3.9%. Soma Ghosh, Careers adviser for professional women and host of The Career Happiness Podcast spoke to Asian Voice on women and their professional future in the time of Coronavirus pandemic.
She said, “A lot of people are currently looking for jobs in the aftermath of Covid-19. People are still getting jobs but competition is high and the number of redundancies is increasing due to the economy and current status of the UK's GDP. Unemployment in the UK has risen the most for those aged between 16-24. A lot of people who are in this age category are employed in industries like retail, travel and tourism etc. There has also been an increase of redundancies in the UK. A lot of people are still getting jobs because of LinkedIn and job hunting consistently. However it is a long process for many and requires time, patience and making sure you keep going.”
Pay disparity amongst people of colour
Commenting or whether or not women may face discrimination while being hired and a man could get their job instead, given that we are in the pandemic, she said, “The UK has done a lot to support women with equal pay since the Act started in 1970. A lot has shifted and in 2010 the equality act is also there to protect women from discrimination. Pay disparity amongst people of colour is still an on-going issue.”
“This also depends because many women who work in the professional sector are getting jobs. The people who aren’t getting jobs or not in employment, could be due to patriarchy but not necessarily. Some women have chosen to be stay at home mums. Also some women have chosen to become self employed so they can be their own boss at this time but have some form of financial independence. Maybe some are relying on their spouse or partner, but many women who are single or a lone parent will not have this option and will have to work,” she added.
Also because of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement becoming more prominent around the world and in the UK, Ghosh feels that there is a lot more attention focused to try and stamp out discrimination so things are changing, albeit slowly.
Men still dominate
According to Ghosh, a man may get a women’s job but this may also be an industry thing. For example more women are needed in certain careers like engineering, IT etc. The number of women in STEM careers is still not very high and these may be the industries where women need to fight more. According to a study done by Catalyst, men still dominate most STEM careers around the world.” Getting a promotion in a male dominated industry like finance may not be easy. “Think bigger about their overall opportunities, whether this be a promotion or position that is specifically catered to their niche, even if this means asking for the position to be created,” Ghosh advised.
Mental Health
Going forward, Ghosh feels that women who are mothers can expect more flexible roles. Career change for many has become a new focus. She said, “The pandemic has changed the mindset for a lot of women. I have been talking to many women who didn’t think about their career development before but because of Covid they are re-evaluating their options. It’s put things into perspective for them. Many women who have been made redundant have started a side hustle or thinking about applying for a job they have always secretly wanted.”
Lastly, we asked her if women should disclose mental health issues at workplaces so as to be treated sensitively. Ghosh thinks that there is a lot of support around mental health In the UK. “I have a few colleagues who do advocacy and training around this. Most women are protected by the Equality Act, so they should disclose it. It depends on the organisation too. In the UK it is against the law to discriminate against someone with any of these illnesses as they should be given equal rights,” Ghosh said.
