London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

‘Urgent measures’ needed to close gender pay gap – report

‘Urgent measures’ needed to close gender pay gap – report

The Fawcett Society said its research showed that during 2022 women will, on average, take home £564 less than men each month, up from £536 in 2021.
Urgent measures are needed by employers and the government to close the gender pay gap, according to a new report.

The Fawcett Society said women face “double trouble” because of the combined impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the difference in their pay compared with men.

The campaign group said its research showed that during 2022 women will, on average, take home £564 less than men each month, up from £536 in 2021.

Its survey of almost 2,000 women also found that one in three would like to work more paid hours than they currently do but are unable to because of a lack of flexible working options or affordable childcare as well as the impact of their caring responsibilities.

Jemima Olchawski, Fawcett Society chief executive, said: “It is unacceptable that the gender pay gap has barely shifted in the past few years, especially given the cost-of-living crisis is hitting women the hardest and forcing them to make impossible choices.

“Our poll shows many women are struggling to pay their household bills – with women of colour even worse hit.

“Closing the gender pay gap would make an immediate difference to women, alleviating the financial and mental health burdens they face.

“We need urgent action to put women’s equality at the heart of our economic recovery. This government should make flexible work the default with a requirement for jobs to be advertised as flexible upfront, to enable more women to work.

“We need mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and action plans, and we need employers to stop asking discriminatory salary history questions. Women can’t afford to wait any longer for the gap to close.”

The Fawcett Society said the pace of change to close the gender pay gap was too slow and needed urgent action from the government and employers.

The group dubbed Sunday Equal Pay Day, saying women effectively worked for free for the rest of the year because of the pay gap, which it said was 11.3%.

A Government spokesman said: “By law, men and women must get equal pay for doing equal work. This government is dedicated to tackling the barriers that prevent women reaching their full potential.

“The Chancellor has announced targeted support worth £26 billion to protect from the worst of cost-of-living pressures and we are pursuing a number of other initiatives to support women in the workplace. This includes our groundbreaking pay transparency pilot, legislation to improve access to flexible working and our new enterprise taskforce.

“We will continue to take data-driven action to ensure that women across the UK can reach their full potential.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×