Latest figures show that the UK’s gender pay gap is now 14.9% – which is higher than the EU average (12.7%).
At the current rate of progress it will take 99.5 years to close the global gender pay gap, according to a new report from The World Economic Forum – which places the UK 21st (down six places since last year) in the world gender equality league table.
Employment law for parents should be overhauled, starting with 3 months’ well-paid “daddy leave”, according to our ground-breaking study Cash or carry, published today.
Jeremy Davies writes:
Parenting leave experts always knew that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) would disappoint. The international evidence is clear: if governments are serious about encouraging large numbers of fathers to take substantial periods of leave during the baby’s first year (as they should be if they are serious about tackling the gender pay gap and improving children’s outcomes), they need to do two things.
Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that the Government will extend shared parental leave and pay to grandparents will undermine gender equality by reducing the likelihood of fathers taking the leave, the Fatherhood Institute has said.
Jeremy Davies writes:
Nick Clegg has been making headlines in recent months as a stalwart advocate of parents sharing the responsibility for hands-on caring.