Analysis of Utah’s Gender Wage Gap in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals

Key Findings on Economic Disparities and SDG Alignment

A recent report from the Utah Women and Leadership Project highlights significant economic disparities that impede progress toward several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The findings indicate a critical need for targeted interventions to address systemic issues within the state’s labor force, which is comprised of approximately 45% women.

1. Violation of SDG 8.5 (Equal Pay): Women in Utah working full-time earn 27% less than their male counterparts, a figure 10% greater than the national average. This directly contravenes the principle of equal pay for work of equal value as outlined in SDG Target 8.5.
2. Long-Term Economic Inequality (SDG 10): The cumulative effect of this wage gap results in an estimated lifetime earnings loss of over $755,000 for a woman over a 40-year career. This perpetuates a cycle of economic inequality, undermining the objective of SDG 10 to reduce inequalities within countries.
3. Increased Poverty Risk (SDG 1): The persistent wage disparity has been identified as a direct contributor to poverty among older women, demonstrating a clear challenge to achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty).

Barriers to Achieving SDG 5: Gender Equality

The report identifies deep-seated cultural and structural barriers that prevent the full realization of SDG 5. These challenges are rooted in occupational segregation and societal norms that influence career pathways for women.

• Occupational Segregation: A prevalence of traditional norms contributes to occupational segregation, where male-dominated fields, such as STEM, are compensated at higher rates than female-dominated sectors.
• Socialization and Education (SDG 4): Societal messaging and educational influences steer women away from higher-paying fields, limiting their economic opportunities. This highlights a gap in achieving SDG Target 4.5, which aims to eliminate gender disparities in education and vocational training.
• Cultural Perceptions: A cultural tendency to attribute the wage gap to women’s personal choices overlooks the systemic impact of socialization, mentoring, and societal expectations on their career development.

Recommendations for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

To address these disparities and accelerate progress toward gender equality and decent work for all, the report suggests a dual approach focusing on both policy reform and cultural transformation. Achieving wage parity, which is estimated to take between 41 and 63 years nationally, requires immediate and concerted action.

• Policy and Infrastructure Development:
  • Implement stronger family-friendly workplace policies that support work-life balance, a key component of decent work (SDG 8).
  • Develop robust childcare infrastructure to support working caregivers, enabling greater female participation in the labor force (SDG 5).
  • Enforce pay transparency measures to identify and correct discriminatory pay practices (SDG 5, SDG 10).
• Cultural and Societal Shifts:
  • Launch initiatives to overcome stereotypes regarding “men’s” and “women’s” work, both professionally and domestically.
  • Promote educational and mentoring programs that encourage girls and women to pursue careers in all fields, including high-growth, high-wage sectors.
  • Foster a societal dialogue that recognizes the systemic factors influencing the gender pay gap, moving beyond individual blame to collective responsibility.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article’s central theme is the gender wage gap in Utah, which is a primary concern of SDG 5. It explicitly discusses the need to “fully achieve gender equality” by addressing the pay gap and the cultural factors that influence it, such as stereotypes about “men’s” and “women’s” work.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article focuses on labor and economic issues, such as wage disparities (“women who work full-time, make 27% less than men”), the composition of the labor force (“Women in Utah make up about 45% of the labor force”), and the concept of pay equity. These are core components of ensuring decent work and economic growth for all.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• By highlighting the economic disparity between men and women, the article directly addresses the issue of reducing inequalities. The gender wage gap is a clear example of an inequality of outcome that SDG 10 aims to eliminate. The article points out that this gap is 10% larger than the national average, emphasizing a specific area of inequality.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• A direct link to poverty is made when the article states that the lifelong impact of the wage gap means “lots of older women actually end up in poverty.” This connects the issue of gender-based wage discrimination to the broader goal of eradicating poverty, particularly among vulnerable groups.

2. Specific Targets Identified

Targets under SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

1. Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The gender wage gap is presented as a form of economic discrimination. The article discusses how cultural messaging and occupational segregation contribute to this systemic issue.
2. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work. The article implies this target by calling for “stronger policies that make work family-friendly, like infrastructures that include childcare… and protections that help woman balance careers and being a caregiver.” This acknowledges the disproportionate burden of caregiving on women, which impacts their careers and earnings.
3. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life. The article addresses this by pointing to “occupational segregation,” where women are less represented in higher-paying, male-dominated STEM fields due to socialization and being told “it’s better to go into these feminine fields.”

Target under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

1. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. This is the most directly relevant target. The entire article is an analysis of the failure to achieve “equal pay for work of equal value,” citing specific statistics on the wage gap in Utah.

Target under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

1. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome. The 27% wage gap is a clear “inequality of outcome.” The article argues that achieving equality requires addressing cultural patterns and messaging that limit women’s occupational choices and opportunities from a young age.

Target under SDG 1 (No Poverty)

1. Target 1.2: Reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty. The article connects the long-term effects of the wage gap to this target by stating, “the wage gap follows women forever, and lots of older women actually end up in poverty.”

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

Indicators for SDG 8 and SDG 5

• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees. The article provides precise data for this indicator. It states that in Utah, “women who work full-time, make 27% less than men,” and that this gap is “10% larger than the national average.” It also quantifies the long-term impact as “a loss of more than $755,000” over a 40-year career.

Indicators for SDG 5

• Indicator related to Indicator 5.5.2 (Proportion of women in managerial positions). While not giving a direct percentage for management, the article implies a disparity in high-value jobs by discussing “occupational segregation.” It notes that men are more likely to go into higher-paying STEM fields while women are guided toward lower-paying “feminine fields.” The statistic that women “make up about 45% of the labor force” serves as a baseline against which their representation in specific (e.g., high-paying) sectors could be measured.

Indicators for SDG 1

• Indicator related to poverty rates by age and sex. The article implies the relevance of this indicator by stating that “lots of older women actually end up in poverty” as a direct consequence of the lifelong wage gap. This suggests that measuring the poverty rate among elderly women would be a key metric for tracking the long-term consequences of this issue.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: kslnewsradio.com