This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/06/fawcett-society-gender-pay-gap-sam-smethers-uk-economy

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Fawcett Society: government must take action to address gender pay gap Fawcett Society: government must take action to address gender pay gap
(about 2 hours later)
Women are angry and no longer willing to tolerate the slow rate of change in addressing the gender pay gap in the UK, according to the head of a major women’s organisation.Women are angry and no longer willing to tolerate the slow rate of change in addressing the gender pay gap in the UK, according to the head of a major women’s organisation.
Sam Smethers, the chief executive of the Fawcett Society, has told the government that it must take action beyond simply publishing pay data in order to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace. With a government consultation on equal pay closing on Sunday, figures show that women still earn on average 19% less than men, more than 40 years after the introduction of the Equal Pay Act. Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, has told the government it must take action beyond simply publishing pay data in order to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace. With a government consultation on equal pay closing on Sunday, figures show that women still earn on average 19% less than men, more than 40 years after the introduction of the Equal Pay Act.
“I think women have tolerated things we shouldn’t in the past – now is perhaps the time to be less tolerant,” Smethers told the Guardian. “Pay is one of those issues. We should be less accepting of the fact that we have still got a 19% pay gap, we – government, business and individuals – have to genuinely want to close it.”“I think women have tolerated things we shouldn’t in the past – now is perhaps the time to be less tolerant,” Smethers told the Guardian. “Pay is one of those issues. We should be less accepting of the fact that we have still got a 19% pay gap, we – government, business and individuals – have to genuinely want to close it.”
Related: David Cameron to force companies to disclose gender pay gaps
A proposed government requirement for companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on the pay gap between men and women under section 78 of the Equality Act 2010, is to be applauded, said Smethers, but more had to be done to tackle “pernicious” bias in the workplace.A proposed government requirement for companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on the pay gap between men and women under section 78 of the Equality Act 2010, is to be applauded, said Smethers, but more had to be done to tackle “pernicious” bias in the workplace.
She said: “Equal pay has been an entitlement for women for over 40 years, and we are still so far away from achieving it. It’s pretty pathetic if you think what we have achieved in those 40-odd years, so we definitely need to speed up the pace of change.”She said: “Equal pay has been an entitlement for women for over 40 years, and we are still so far away from achieving it. It’s pretty pathetic if you think what we have achieved in those 40-odd years, so we definitely need to speed up the pace of change.”
Smethers, who took up her role in the key women’s organisation last month, called on the government to require all apprenticeships in construction, engineering and sciences to be filled equally by young men and women and to extend the legislation on publishing pay gap data to companies with more than 50 employees. Smethers, who took up her role at the Fawcett Society last month, called on the government to require all apprenticeships in construction, engineering and sciences to be filled equally by young men and women, and to extend s.
Government statistics revealed that in 2013-14, the number of girls starting engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships was down 2% and the number starting information and communications technology apprenticeships was down 21%. The “power of procurement” in private contracts in the public sector could also be used to ensure that companies were taking all possible steps to reduce the gender pay gap, Smethers said.Government statistics revealed that in 2013-14, the number of girls starting engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships was down 2% and the number starting information and communications technology apprenticeships was down 21%. The “power of procurement” in private contracts in the public sector could also be used to ensure that companies were taking all possible steps to reduce the gender pay gap, Smethers said.
She also called on companies to be required to advertise all jobs as potential job shares, or as part-time roles, unless there was a provable requirement for the job to be full-time. While women earn 19% less than men on average – earning 80p for every £1 earned by a man – that gap drops to 9.4% for women in full-time work. The gender pay gap has virtually been elimated for women between the ages of 18-39 who are in full-time work, but the gap in hourly earnings opens up from 40 onwards as women take themselves out of the workplace to care for children. And according to Fawcett, women are less likely to progress up the career ladder: while women make up 47% of the workforce, they account for only 34% of managers, directors and senior officials. She also called on companies to be required to advertise all jobs as potential job shares, or as part-time roles, unless there was a provable requirement for the job to be full time. While women earn 19% less than men on average that gap drops to 9.4% for women in full-time work. The gender pay gap has virtually been eliminated for women aged 18-39 who are in full-time work, but the gap in hourly earnings increases from 40 onwards as women leave the workplace to care for children. And according to Fawcett, women are less likely to progress up the career ladder: although women make up 47% of the workforce, they account for only 34% of managers, directors and senior officials.
The government introduced shared paternity leave in April but their own assessments showed few men – just 2-8% – were likely to take it up. “We have tinkered with paternity leave, that’s it,” said Smethers. “You have to get under the skin of this stuff and I don’t think we’ve ever tried to.” The government introduced shared paternity leave in April but its own assessments showed few men – 2-8% – were likely to take it up. “We have tinkered with paternity leave, that’s it,” said Smethers. “You have to get under the skin of this stuff and I don’t think we’ve ever tried to.”
One government policy which has reduced the ability of individual women to tackle inequality in the workplace is the hiking of employment tribunal fees, said Smethers. The first quarter after tribunal fees were introduced there was a 91% decrease in sex discrimination cases. “That isn’t good for women, or for employment practice,” she said. “If you leave unlawful practice unchallenged it continues and could spread – it’s not fair on good employers either.” One government policy that has reduced the ability of individual women to tackle inequality in the workplace is the sharp increase in employment tribunal fees, said Smethers. The first quarter after tribunal fees were introduced there was a 91% decrease in sex discrimination cases. “That isn’t good for women, or for employment practice,” she said. “If you leave unlawful practice unchallenged it continues and could spread – it’s not fair on good employers either.”
The gender pay gap is a major factor in the UK’s low productivity problem, said Smethers. According to government figures equalising women’s productivity could add almost £600bn to the economy, while if the 2.2 million women who wanted to work could find suitable jobs, 10% could be added to the size of the economy by 2030.The gender pay gap is a major factor in the UK’s low productivity problem, said Smethers. According to government figures equalising women’s productivity could add almost £600bn to the economy, while if the 2.2 million women who wanted to work could find suitable jobs, 10% could be added to the size of the economy by 2030.
“What resources are we pouring into girls’ education that is then just seeping away because they can’t get decently remunerated work in what they are trained to do,” she said. “It’s a huge, massive waste of resources - it doesn’t make any sense.” “What resources are we pouring into girls’ education is then just seeping away because they can’t get decently remunerated work in what they are trained to do,” she said. “It’s a huge, massive waste of resources – it doesn’t make any sense.”
Related: The gender pay gap is a scandal. David Cameron must act on his pledge to end it | Gloria De Piero
David Cameron has pledged to eradicate the gender pay gap “within a generation”, and Smethers is prepared to take him at his word. But politics at a national and local level also has to be transformed, she argued, adding that he “could choose to have a 50:50 cabinet if he wanted one”.David Cameron has pledged to eradicate the gender pay gap “within a generation”, and Smethers is prepared to take him at his word. But politics at a national and local level also has to be transformed, she argued, adding that he “could choose to have a 50:50 cabinet if he wanted one”.
“Who fundamentally is in positions of power, in decision-making positions in society? It still isn’t women,” she said.“Who fundamentally is in positions of power, in decision-making positions in society? It still isn’t women,” she said.
The Fawcett Society chief executive is hoping to tap into the new energy of an invigorated women’s movement which has seen the emergence of online campaigns such as the Everyday Sexism project, and No More Page 3. Smethers is hoping to tap into the new energy of an invigorated women’s movement, which has seen the emergence of online campaigns such as the Everyday Sexism project, and No More Page 3.
“It feels to me that there is more of a front foot to the fight now,” she said. “There’s a refusal to accept that it should be a struggle. The women coming through now are really determined to get better outcomes – and that will drive change.”“It feels to me that there is more of a front foot to the fight now,” she said. “There’s a refusal to accept that it should be a struggle. The women coming through now are really determined to get better outcomes – and that will drive change.”