Gender Equality Cayman says public-private collaboration on issues such as the minimum wage and equitable family leave provisions are essential to pushing for equal opportunity in the workplace in the Cayman Islands.
GEC, in a statement to the Cayman Compass on the issue, said, individually, employers and government have the power to move the needle towards equal pay and benefits, but by working together in a coordinated effort, their impact is “significantly potentiated”.
“There are key pieces of policy and legislative reform that need to be driven and supported by both sectors to succeed, such as revising minimum wage and providing adequate, balanced family leave. The need for paternity leave provisions has been a recurrent key [Cayman Islands Gender Equality in the Workplace Survey] highlight, which calls for both legislation reform and employer support and adoption. Changes such as these would imminently help increase the opportunity for financial independence and equality,” the statement said.
Unconscious bias remains an issue
In its 2021 survey, GEC said offering further transparency on compensation scales and promotion opportunities is another aspect that needs improvement across the board.
“Less than 50% of all respondents felt confident asking for raises or promotions, which furthers pay inequality,” it said.
GEC pointed out that, unconscious bias remains an issue from their survey findings.
“We recommend increasing training, conversations, and support to employees and community members in general, to learn how to recognize, manage and mitigate these biases that get in the way of our social thinking, interactions, and work to achieve gender equality,” it said.
That survey, which involved responses from 1600 people, also found that 54% of women have witnessed discrimination [based on gender in the workplace.]
“Although 54% is still quite a concerning figure, it actually represents a 20% drop from the 74% found in our 2019 Survey. This suggests that although the road ahead is long and much more work is needed, as a business community, Cayman is tracking in the right direction,” GEC said.
However, it added that in order to continue these gains, Cayman must keep a strong focus on education and advocacy.
This, it added, must be “supported by legislation and policies that drive inclusion, deter any kind of discrimination, and ensure access to fair opportunity for women as well as men. For example, implementing policies that push gender-smart recruitment, promotion and succession planning, as well as balancing of parental leave entitlements”.
Deputy Premier Chris Saunders has stated that the PACT government is working on addressing issues with employee benefits, including maternity and paternity leave.
Saunders, who is also Minister for Labour, has said a review of Cayman’s minimum wage will also be conducted.
GEC is a non-profit organisation and says it aims to raise awareness within the business community and advise government of the challenges both men and women face in the workplace, that contribute to gender discrimination.
“We also advise and support these organizations in developing strategies to address and eliminate bias and gender-based discrimination,” it added.
It said its 2021 survey has also continued to highlight the disparity at leadership levels, with almost 70% of respondents stating that the most senior person in their organisation was male.
“This shows the imminent need for public and private sectors to evaluate promotion and succession plans and redirect efforts and resources as needed to reduce the female leadership gap. At the same time, while more men are joining the conversation about gender equality, there is still complacency and need for men to challenge and critically question whether or not real equality is being achieved,” it said.
The survey also indicated a need to normalise flexible working.
“A noteworthy 93% of women and 88% of men said it was important to them. However, not all were leveraging their available work-from-home arrangements, as many worried these may impact their career progression. Employers play a key role in supporting staff to achieve a productive level of flexibility that supports their work-life balance, as this has a direct impact on career progression and consequently, has the power to bridge or broaden the gender gaps in the workforce,” it added.
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