Editorial
Let’s close the gender pay gap
According to a study by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), women in Ghana are paid 34.2 percent less than men, as reported in last week’s issue of The Spectator.
It said the wage gap was the highest among workers with basic education (60.1 percent) followed by workers with no education (54 percent).
The data from the first-quarter of the 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES) was released to commemorate International Equal Pay Day, which was observed on September 18.
It aimed at encouraging efforts toward the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value.
According to the story, “the gender wage gap is lowest among paid workers with tertiary education or more, where women earn 12.7 percent less than their male counterparts.”
The discrepancy between men’s and women’s incomes is known as the “gender pay gap.”
Arguments against the gender pay gap stem from gender inequality, which include lack of employment equality, unequal political representation, unequal access to education, and job segregation at work, where society tends to believe that men are better suited to handle particular jobs.
And because of this, people believe that men are better in the highest-paying jobs, which results in discrimination and lower incomes.
It appears that most women are paid less than men because they (the women) occupy positions that require less education, less experience, or fewer time commitments which affect their pay-packs eventually.
It is not surprising though, that some women with higher education levels and lots of experience are still underappreciated.
In certain organisations, women negotiate salary increases and request promotions, yet they are turned down.
In these modern times when women provide majority of the income for their families, when they are paid less, they have less money for essential expenses like child care, rent, utilities, education, savings and property.
The Spectator believes that if women were compensated decently and the salary gap is closed it will benefit society and the economy as a whole to reduce the poverty rate.
We implore all employers, including those in the public and private sectors, whether formally or informally, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), among others to make pay equity a top priority on their agenda to ensure that women and men receive equal pay for the work they do.
We also urge women to advance in their careers to create more opportunities for them in their jobs.
Editorial
Check cases of drug abuse among youth of Shukura and environs
Dear Sir,
I write this letter as a concerned citizen of the country to bring to your notice the increasing rate of the intake of hard drugs by the youth of Shukura and its environs.
This issue is of great concern because of the negative impact of the hard drugs such as tobacco, cannabis and heroine on the youth in the area.
The situation has created a state of insecurity as residents find it difficult to walk around at night for fear of being attacked by these drug addicts.
Strangely, there is a police station in the community but police personnel either don’t show any interest in their activities or struggle to track their activities.
This has given them some freedom to misbehave around the area and endanger the lives of the people.
At this stage, it has become important for the residents in the community to collaborate with the police in addressing the issue.
I want to implore the police in the area to conduct patrol exercise in the area, especially at nights.
That aside, I would want to urge the authorities to embark a campaign on drug addiction in the area to let the youth know and understand the dangers and harm drugs exposes them to.
Chris Nii Narh,
Shukura
Editorial
Discuss mental health disorders among health professionals
Dear Editor,
As individuals who visit health facilities, we are always expectant of being received by medical professionals in very good moods.
These same medical professionals, including nurses, have always been on the receiving end of a backlash for failure to do so.
However, what we often fail, as citizens and patients, to realise is that these medical professionals are also humans who are faced with a lot of stress and burnout, a situation that affects their mental health.
Although there is no data on mental health of health workers in Ghana from the Mental Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), some research statistics could be obtained from some public research.
For instance, a comparative study conducted by researchers at the Volta Regional and Ho Teaching hospitals in August this year revealed moderate and high levels of stress among the nurses in these two hospitals.
Mental health issues among health workers in Ghana is one that is less talked about.
Its negative impact was largely felt during the COVID-19 period, when medical professionals had to work for longer hours. Imagine a nurse who is stressed out and is required to give an injection to a patient.
This is why there is the need for the government and the GHS to address the issue of mental health among medical professionals with all seriousness to avert any negative outcome.
Benjamin Arcton-Tettey,
Accra
