Each year, International Women’s Day marks a chance to celebrate the achievements of women and tackle gender inequality. And naturally, some companies use the day to champion women in their organisation – or so they say.
In 2022, there are hundreds of tweets from companies tweeting about the importance of female empowerment. But do the tweets match up to the actions of these organisations?
Twitter account @PayGapApp doesn’t seem to think so. Their background header reads: “Deeds not words. Stop posting platitudes. Start fixing the problem.” They’re exposing companies who still have a gender pay gap.
If a company tweets about International Women’s Day, they’ll quote tweet with their gender pay gap. Universities, councils and even charity organisations have had their gender pay gaps exposed by the account.
In this organisation, women's median hourly pay is 17.5% lower than men's. https://t.co/MV5bCmrNqH
— Gender Pay Gap Bot (@PayGapApp) March 8, 2022
The account was set up by social media manager Francesca Lawson and software developer Ali Fensome in 2021, but they’ve gained a new wave of followers this year.
The account highlights pay gap data that’s publicly available via the government website.
“If we’re not confronting that data and acting on it, then the problems are just going to persist forever,” Lawson told Vice.
“We created the bot is to make sure that this data isn’t just forgotten about – it’s in the spotlight. By talking about it, we can begin to put pressure on employers to start changing their hiring practices, and paying everyone more.”
In this organisation, women's median hourly pay is 30.5% lower than men's. https://t.co/aqLqnbfENb
— Gender Pay Gap Bot (@PayGapApp) March 8, 2022
In this organisation, women's median hourly pay is 20.3% lower than men's. https://t.co/uhZXmipKRc
— Gender Pay Gap Bot (@PayGapApp) March 8, 2022
It seems like most people on Twitter think they’re doing the Lord’s work.
Love the Gender Pay Gap Bot calling out these companies. I remember when a female coworker of mine and I found out (at an old company) women were being offered $20k less WITH MORE education + experience in the same position as men.
— Ren the Millen(nial) (@Notsozenren) March 8, 2022
I think @PayGapApp has already won #IWD2022 on social media. The bot retweets company posts about IWD and adds the respective company's gender pay gap. It's also great fun to watch retweeted posts disappear in real time.
— Susanne Gruss (@susannegruss) March 8, 2022
Today I am mostly obsessed with the @PayGapApp. A bot that RTs any company tweeting about #IWD2022 highlighting their gender pay gap. It is hilarious and depressing in equal measures.
— Holly Bourne (@holly_bourneYA) March 8, 2022
Gender Pay Gap Bot @PayGapApp calling out performative nonsense is my new favourite thing
— Dr Zoë Ayres (@ZJAyres) March 8, 2022
Though the account is mainly exposing companies for still having a gender pay gap, they’re also highlighting the organisations who pay men and women equally such as Registers of Scotland and Together Trust.
Other companies like London Fire Brigade, Wigan Council, Helen and Douglas House, JoJo Maman Bebe and Girlguiding pay women more than men. So it’s not all bad news.
What do you think of the Gender Pay Gap Bot?
