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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jul/19/a-ridiculous-and-unjustified-throwback-readers-on-the-bbc-gender-pay-gap
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| 'A ridiculous and unjustified throwback': readers on the BBC gender pay gap | 'A ridiculous and unjustified throwback': readers on the BBC gender pay gap |
| (13 days later) | |
| The BBC is facing criticism after figures published by the corporation show a significant gender imbalance in the salaries of its top stars. Just a third of the 96 top earners are female and the top seven are all male. | The BBC is facing criticism after figures published by the corporation show a significant gender imbalance in the salaries of its top stars. Just a third of the 96 top earners are female and the top seven are all male. |
| Only two women – Claudia Winkleman, who presents Strictly Come Dancing, and Alex Jones, presenter of the One Show – are listed as earning more than £400,000 compared with 12 men in that pay bracket. Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor, earns between £200,000 and £249,999 – less than PM host Eddie Mair, who earns between £300,000 and £349,999. | Only two women – Claudia Winkleman, who presents Strictly Come Dancing, and Alex Jones, presenter of the One Show – are listed as earning more than £400,000 compared with 12 men in that pay bracket. Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor, earns between £200,000 and £249,999 – less than PM host Eddie Mair, who earns between £300,000 and £349,999. |
| Some lawyers have warned that the BBC is now exposed to sex discrimination claims by its female presenters. Labour’s Harriet Harman urged the BBC to stop using public money to discriminate against women. | Some lawyers have warned that the BBC is now exposed to sex discrimination claims by its female presenters. Labour’s Harriet Harman urged the BBC to stop using public money to discriminate against women. |
| The gender pay gap in the UK is 18.1%. Even when part-time workers (who, like those in low-paid jobs, are overwhelmingly female) are stripped out, the gap is 9.4%, little changed from the 10.5% gap five years earlier. | The gender pay gap in the UK is 18.1%. Even when part-time workers (who, like those in low-paid jobs, are overwhelmingly female) are stripped out, the gap is 9.4%, little changed from the 10.5% gap five years earlier. |
| We asked Guardian readers to share their thoughts and reaction to the salaries. Here’s what they said. | We asked Guardian readers to share their thoughts and reaction to the salaries. Here’s what they said. |
| ‘A symptom of a society that still expects women to be seen and not heard’ – Janice Aitken, university worker, Dundee | ‘A symptom of a society that still expects women to be seen and not heard’ – Janice Aitken, university worker, Dundee |
| It’s absolutely shocking to see the clear discrimination against women, BME people and disabled people in these numbers. I was not surprised by the gender pay gap but was deeply saddened to read that the gender pay gap that is so prevalent across my sector – higher education – is also firmly entrenched in the BBC. | It’s absolutely shocking to see the clear discrimination against women, BME people and disabled people in these numbers. I was not surprised by the gender pay gap but was deeply saddened to read that the gender pay gap that is so prevalent across my sector – higher education – is also firmly entrenched in the BBC. |
| If the household names we see on our screens daily are not treated equally then the message is loud and clear - women are less valued, less entertaining and less authoritative than men who are doing the same job. The effect that this constant undermining of the value of women in the public eye has on young women is to remind them that however much lip service is paid to equality and however many times they are told that they can achieve whatever they want if they work for it, they will never be valued as much as men. | If the household names we see on our screens daily are not treated equally then the message is loud and clear - women are less valued, less entertaining and less authoritative than men who are doing the same job. The effect that this constant undermining of the value of women in the public eye has on young women is to remind them that however much lip service is paid to equality and however many times they are told that they can achieve whatever they want if they work for it, they will never be valued as much as men. |
| Those who do achieve success have to work considerably harder to get there than their male counterparts, often rewarded with a lower level of recognition. I also note that the figures show a tiny number of non-white individuals earning high salaries. Women from minority ethnic groups are even rarer. Likewise people with disabilities. All of this is compounded by the fact that women are already held to far higher standards of appearance than men in the media, with “older”, “fat” or “unattractive” women being completely missing from our screens except in exceptional circumstances. | Those who do achieve success have to work considerably harder to get there than their male counterparts, often rewarded with a lower level of recognition. I also note that the figures show a tiny number of non-white individuals earning high salaries. Women from minority ethnic groups are even rarer. Likewise people with disabilities. All of this is compounded by the fact that women are already held to far higher standards of appearance than men in the media, with “older”, “fat” or “unattractive” women being completely missing from our screens except in exceptional circumstances. |
| Women’s voices are constantly being silenced, with anyone who dares to speak out being shouted down, threatened and attacked. This behaviour is a symptom of a society that still expects women to be seen and not heard and is actively compounded by the actions of bodies like the BBC. | Women’s voices are constantly being silenced, with anyone who dares to speak out being shouted down, threatened and attacked. This behaviour is a symptom of a society that still expects women to be seen and not heard and is actively compounded by the actions of bodies like the BBC. |
| The BBC should be leading in terms of the way in which it reflect the society in which we live, not reinforcing destructive and insidious stereotypes. | The BBC should be leading in terms of the way in which it reflect the society in which we live, not reinforcing destructive and insidious stereotypes. |
| ‘The pay gap is a ridiculous throwback to a time when women were seen as unequal’ – Daniel Bevan, NHS support worker, Portsmouth | ‘The pay gap is a ridiculous throwback to a time when women were seen as unequal’ – Daniel Bevan, NHS support worker, Portsmouth |
| It’s very simple. If you can do the job well, it’s irrelevant whether you’re male or female. The pay gap is a ridiculous and unjustified throwback to a time when women were seen as unequal. The talk of the BBC ‘moving towards’ equality and ‘it’s a work in progress’, is frankly cheap talk. If the BBC were really serious about addressing the pay gap, they would do so quickly. Consultation, restructuring, rewrite some contracts, let HR and payroll know about the new process, and get it done. Talk is – seems an ironic word to use here – cheap! | It’s very simple. If you can do the job well, it’s irrelevant whether you’re male or female. The pay gap is a ridiculous and unjustified throwback to a time when women were seen as unequal. The talk of the BBC ‘moving towards’ equality and ‘it’s a work in progress’, is frankly cheap talk. If the BBC were really serious about addressing the pay gap, they would do so quickly. Consultation, restructuring, rewrite some contracts, let HR and payroll know about the new process, and get it done. Talk is – seems an ironic word to use here – cheap! |
| It seems fairly excessive for Gary Lineker (for example) to earn what he does for presenting Match of the Day on a weekly basis. I know a lot of work goes into the production and presentation of the show, and I happen to think he’s a great presenter, but how do they place such value on the job he does? | It seems fairly excessive for Gary Lineker (for example) to earn what he does for presenting Match of the Day on a weekly basis. I know a lot of work goes into the production and presentation of the show, and I happen to think he’s a great presenter, but how do they place such value on the job he does? |
| ‘That a lead female presenter or actress is considered less valuable than a male is ludicrous’ – Joe Taylor, software engineer, Newcastle | ‘That a lead female presenter or actress is considered less valuable than a male is ludicrous’ – Joe Taylor, software engineer, Newcastle |
| Comparing Gary Lineker with Claire Balding is entirely ludicrous. It’s not [that] he works harder, is more talented or is more deserving of more money. He’s not, it’s down to how in demand he is. He’s a legendary footballer, national treasure and has presented the most popular sport in the world in this country for years, his stock is through the roof, rival sports shows will be throwing money at him to entice him. The BBC have to pay him well to keep him on board. | Comparing Gary Lineker with Claire Balding is entirely ludicrous. It’s not [that] he works harder, is more talented or is more deserving of more money. He’s not, it’s down to how in demand he is. He’s a legendary footballer, national treasure and has presented the most popular sport in the world in this country for years, his stock is through the roof, rival sports shows will be throwing money at him to entice him. The BBC have to pay him well to keep him on board. |
| Claire Balding is supremely talented and charming but simply doesn’t generate the revenue and the fierce competition from elsewhere. However, the gender pay gap does not lie just with the BBC. It’s a worldwide issue. That somehow a lead female presenter or actress is considered less valuable than a male is ludicrous. It seems to be deeply ingrained in our society and not necessarily the BBC’s fault. However the BBC could take steps to rectify this and lead by example by closing said gap. | Claire Balding is supremely talented and charming but simply doesn’t generate the revenue and the fierce competition from elsewhere. However, the gender pay gap does not lie just with the BBC. It’s a worldwide issue. That somehow a lead female presenter or actress is considered less valuable than a male is ludicrous. It seems to be deeply ingrained in our society and not necessarily the BBC’s fault. However the BBC could take steps to rectify this and lead by example by closing said gap. |
| ‘It’s ridiculous that we can be allowed to discriminate’ – Emily Collins, supervisor in an independently-run cafe, York | ‘It’s ridiculous that we can be allowed to discriminate’ – Emily Collins, supervisor in an independently-run cafe, York |
| The question of whether this is an injustice to women depends on the reasoning behind this. Personally, I would be more concerned if this was due to women being paid less because of their gender, rather than because there are less women in top BBC jobs as a whole. | The question of whether this is an injustice to women depends on the reasoning behind this. Personally, I would be more concerned if this was due to women being paid less because of their gender, rather than because there are less women in top BBC jobs as a whole. |
| It’s ridiculous that we can be allowed, even on a subconscious level, to discriminate between genders when it comes to salaries. If anything the publication of these salaries will provide the government with an incentive to put measures in place to reduce this discrimination in the future. | It’s ridiculous that we can be allowed, even on a subconscious level, to discriminate between genders when it comes to salaries. If anything the publication of these salaries will provide the government with an incentive to put measures in place to reduce this discrimination in the future. |
| If I’ve learned anything from these figures, it’s that I am naive. Or in the wrong industry, at least. If you’d asked me to guess at the salaries of some of the top earners prior to this news, I would have said something along the lines of £70,000-£80,000 a year. I am not questioning whether they work hard in their roles, but I believe that the teachers, university researchers, doctors and policemen, to name a few, are on much lower salaries yet still provide an invaluable public service. They work just as hard, if not harder. | If I’ve learned anything from these figures, it’s that I am naive. Or in the wrong industry, at least. If you’d asked me to guess at the salaries of some of the top earners prior to this news, I would have said something along the lines of £70,000-£80,000 a year. I am not questioning whether they work hard in their roles, but I believe that the teachers, university researchers, doctors and policemen, to name a few, are on much lower salaries yet still provide an invaluable public service. They work just as hard, if not harder. |
| Inequality | Inequality |
| BBC | BBC |
| Gender | Gender |
| Income inequality | Income inequality |
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