Women still underpaid, says Fawcett Society

Posted 29/07/2009

Women are still underpaid compared to their male counterparts, according to one organisation.

The Fawcett Society, a group campaigning for gender equality, commented on the recent Women and Work Commission report, which highlighted the perpetuation of inequality in the workplace.

Kat Banyard, campaigns officer at the Fawcett Society, explained that despite employment law provisions for women in the workplace, they are still being discriminated against.

“It’s been nearly 40 years since paying women less than men was made illegal, yet it is still going on,” Ms Banyard said.

“The gap is not only just stalling it is getting wider, and the reason for that is that equal pay law simply isn’t working,” she added.

Ms Banyard went on to call for wholesale reform of employment law and supported the notion that gender stereotyping should be tackled in schools.

According to the Women and Work Commission, on average, women are paid 22.6 per cent less per hour than men.