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| Gender pay gap 'not being closed' | Gender pay gap 'not being closed' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A lack of government action to tackle gender stereotypes in schools has contributed to women's pay failing to catch up with men's, a report has said. | A lack of government action to tackle gender stereotypes in schools has contributed to women's pay failing to catch up with men's, a report has said. |
| The Women and Work Commission, which was established to consider how to close the gender pay gap, said it had widened to 22.6% from 21.9% in 2007. | The Women and Work Commission, which was established to consider how to close the gender pay gap, said it had widened to 22.6% from 21.9% in 2007. |
| Three years after its first report, the commission said women were still being pushed into "traditional" jobs. | Three years after its first report, the commission said women were still being pushed into "traditional" jobs. |
| It called for a strategy to tackle stereotyping in careers advice. | It called for a strategy to tackle stereotyping in careers advice. |
| "The government is committed to tackling inequalities in the workplace and progress has been made across the public sector and in helping women get the skills and training they need," said Baroness Margaret Prosser, chair of the commission. | "The government is committed to tackling inequalities in the workplace and progress has been made across the public sector and in helping women get the skills and training they need," said Baroness Margaret Prosser, chair of the commission. |
| "But ministers must match commitment with fundamental change that will make a real difference - starting in our schools," she added. | "But ministers must match commitment with fundamental change that will make a real difference - starting in our schools," she added. |
| Progress | Progress |
| The solution is not less segregation of roles but paying women what they are worth Kat Banyard, Fawcett Society | The solution is not less segregation of roles but paying women what they are worth Kat Banyard, Fawcett Society |
| Three years after the Commission's Shaping a Fairer Future report - which set out 40 recommendations for tackling the gender divide at work - Equality Minister Harriet Harman invited it to reconvene and see what progress had been made. | |
| While good progress had been made in key areas like childcare and the right to request flexible working, the commission remained "disappointed" in the lack of overall progress. | While good progress had been made in key areas like childcare and the right to request flexible working, the commission remained "disappointed" in the lack of overall progress. |
| It added that the gender pay gap still "stubbornly persists despite monumental changes in women's position in the workplace". More needed to be done to promote quality flexible and part time work, it said. | It added that the gender pay gap still "stubbornly persists despite monumental changes in women's position in the workplace". More needed to be done to promote quality flexible and part time work, it said. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | |
| Breaking down stereotypes at school should now be the government's priority to ensure girls are not funnelled into the "five c" careers - caring, cashiering, clerical, cleaning and catering - where pay levels tend to be lower. | Breaking down stereotypes at school should now be the government's priority to ensure girls are not funnelled into the "five c" careers - caring, cashiering, clerical, cleaning and catering - where pay levels tend to be lower. |
| "We need to make our schools the nurturing ground for ambition so that everyone has the opportunity to use their talents to the full," Baroness Prosser added. | "We need to make our schools the nurturing ground for ambition so that everyone has the opportunity to use their talents to the full," Baroness Prosser added. |
| Among the 43 recommendations put forward in the review were: | Among the 43 recommendations put forward in the review were: |
| • Work experience placements for girls in occupations where women are traditionally not well represented | • Work experience placements for girls in occupations where women are traditionally not well represented |
| • Buddy programme to team girls together on placements in non-traditional sectors to help with their confidence | • Buddy programme to team girls together on placements in non-traditional sectors to help with their confidence |
| • Similar buddy system for apprenticeships and diplomas to allow participants to speak to successful women in similar jobs | • Similar buddy system for apprenticeships and diplomas to allow participants to speak to successful women in similar jobs |
| • A careers adviser trained in challenging gender and socio-economic stereotyping for every school | • A careers adviser trained in challenging gender and socio-economic stereotyping for every school |
| • In childcare, the government should consider what could be done to boost wages and professionalise the sector, which still attracts mainly women workers | • In childcare, the government should consider what could be done to boost wages and professionalise the sector, which still attracts mainly women workers |
| 'Wake-up call' | 'Wake-up call' |
| However Kat Banyard, campaigns officer of the Fawcett Society said she was disappointed by the focus of the report. | However Kat Banyard, campaigns officer of the Fawcett Society said she was disappointed by the focus of the report. |
| "The largest single cause of the pay gap is discrimination, the solution is not less segregation of roles, but paying women what they are worth," she added. | "The largest single cause of the pay gap is discrimination, the solution is not less segregation of roles, but paying women what they are worth," she added. |
| "Women are also being paid less by employers than their male counterparts, yet employers are under no obligation to check that women are not paid less." | "Women are also being paid less by employers than their male counterparts, yet employers are under no obligation to check that women are not paid less." |
| The government has "a once-in-a-generation opportunity" with the Equality Bill to tackle the problem by carrying out audits to check when and where there is a pay gap, Ms Banyard added. | The government has "a once-in-a-generation opportunity" with the Equality Bill to tackle the problem by carrying out audits to check when and where there is a pay gap, Ms Banyard added. |
| TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added that the report was a "stern wake-up call" to anyone who thought the pay gap was near an end. | TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added that the report was a "stern wake-up call" to anyone who thought the pay gap was near an end. |