Speaker
Description
The gender pay gap phenomenon has become an important issue over the last years as it affects significantly the economy of women and, therefore, their independency and autonomy. Stereotypes, gender roles and biases are some of the causes of labor inequality between men and women globally. This phenomenon influences the professional opportunities as well as the economic and career advancement for individuals, especially women. Even though there has been a rise on the gender equality issue during the 21st century, and its importance manifests to the point of constituting one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda and given all the progress achieved so far in a diversity of areas and fields, the reality displays that up to the present day there are still problematics that need to be tackled, such as the wage gap between genders. Despite studies have been done regarding this problem in the professional path of people among different fields within higher education in Europe, little attention has been given to the opinions of higher education students about this topic in Romania. Understanding the viewpoints of university students provides important insights into the attitudes towards gender equality that new generations have. The present study aims at analyzing the perceptions that higher education students have regarding the gender pay gap. A qualitative analysis, using the technique of focus group was implemented to analyze the opinions among higher education students who come from different cultural backgrounds and nationalities, enrolled in a Romanian university. The sample consists of an equal number of both male and female participants in order to have a balanced representation and to obtain as many diverse opinions as possible from the respondents. The results reveal the points of view, awareness and expectations of university students about the gender pay gap situation, shedding light on how their own context of origin, cultural patterns and personal experiences regarding the topic influence their own perceptions. Furthermore, the majority of students are aware of what the gender pay gap phenomenon means and the limitations that it brings about in the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in general, especially at present, bringing up in this way a preoccupation about the future of the labor market and society in general terms.
