The gender pay gap
10th November 2018 was the day in the year when women effectively stopped earning, compared with men, because of the gender pay gap. Although we have come a long way to addressing this issue we still have a way to go before we see true equality in wages between men and women. According to the world economic forum, which has reported on the gender pay gap since 2006 it will take 100 years to close the gap across 106 countries. How alarming that we will not see this in our lifetime. Despite the 1970 Equal pay Act, the UK is 15th on the list for gender equality, with Iceland being first. For many years women have been told that closing this gap is in their own hands, they have been told to speak up and banish negative thoughts but ironically women who follow this advice run the risk of being labeled as arrogant. The gender pay gap is a collective, not an individual problem. As leaders we must all take responsibility for ensuring our businesses are equitable and fair for all employees, acknowledging inherent biases that exist when interviewing and recruiting. The evidence suggests that if we all try harder to make these decisions fairer then we can close this gap. Find out more from Katie Cooper, head of research, policy, and standards at the Institute of Leadership and Management
