ADDRESSING THE “GLASS ESCALATOR”
Many regulatory and professional bodies are monitoring the participation of men in nursing. Some organisations offer incentives. For example, the American Association for Men in Nursing offers scholarships, awards and training to attract and retain men in the profession.
It is important to recognise that some barriers for men come from within the nursing profession itself.
Some in the nursing workforce perceive that men are on a career “glass escalator”. Unlike a “glass ceiling”, which inhibits career progression, the “glass escalator” allows men to be fast-tracked up the nursing workforce to higher positions in an effort to retain them.
This can cause some to perceive male participation in nursing as a negative, which reduces inclusion.
But this glass escalator phenomenon, which can occur in other industries too, can only be overcome if male participation in the workforce is normalised. And it is critically important to look at the structural, gender-driven factors that inhibit women embracing leadership roles.
It is also worth noting that women in the health and caregiving sector face a larger gender pay gap than in other economic sectors. A joint report by the International Labour Organization and the WHO found:
“Women in the health and care sector face a larger gender pay gap than in other economic sectors, earning on average of 24 per cent less than peers who are men … Within countries, gender pay gaps tend to be wider in higher pay categories, where men are over-represented. Women are over-represented in the lower pay categories.”
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