Fawcett Society

Today we can confirm that Equal Pay Day 2024 will fall on 20th November. That's earlier than last year. This means that the UK's mean Gender Pay Gap has got worse for the first time since 2013. Equal Pay Day is a national campaign led by the Fawcett Society in the UK. It marks the day in the year when, based on the gender pay gap, women overall in the UK stop being paid compared to men. CEO Jemima Olchawski said,  "It’s incredibly alarming to see the mean gender pay gap widen in 2024 and shows that without concerted effort most women won’t see equal pay in our working lifetime.  “Today’s data confirms that the Gender Pay Gap increases with age as women take on more and more unpaid care work for children and older people. Tomorrow, at her first Budget, our first female Chancellor in history can right this wrong by investing to finally address the motherhood penalty and set the UK on a path to close the Gender Pay Gap for good.  "The draft Employment Rights Bill and commitments to close the gap are important steps but today’s data clearly shows more must urgently be done. Our government must commit to a cross-government strategy to shrink the gender pay gap by 2030 – women cannot wait any longer." Read our explainer here 👇 https://lnkd.in/esbbsW37

Proud to work with such a powerful Board and amazing team at the Fawcett Society to continue our campaign for gender equality, tackling misogyny and sexism.

Are you passionate about gender equality? Join the Fawcett Society’s members-only online event on 12th November at 7pm! Discover how the US election impacts women in the UK; how political decisions in Washington affect UK policies and women’s lived experiences. Gain insights from award-winning author Professor Laura Beers and Alesha De Freitas MBE, Fawcett’s Head of Policy. Don’t miss this urgent conversation on the ripple effects of US politics on gender issues. Secure your spot—become a member today!

⭐ New pod episode ⭐ Hear from Alesha De Freitas from Fawcett Society as she discusses what Equal Pay Day means, and how The Fawcett Society are making waves campaigning for gender equality and women's rights. Listen now 🎙️ https://bit.ly/3AvgzPz

Architecture’s lagging progress on gender bias to be explored in new RIBA and Fawcett Society study The true scale and complexity of gender inequity of the UK architectural profession are due to be uncovered by a major new study. Building on decades of existing research, it will ask why, when many of the barriers to gender equity are known, more progress is not being made. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced it has commissioned a study into gender equity in architecture by the Fawcett Society, to be published in 2025. In September 2023, only 31% of architects were women, and there is significant evidence of a slow rate of progress towards gender equity with a gender pay gap of 16% based on evidence from RIBA Business Benchmarking 2023. This new study will conduct research into the experiences of women who are either practicing architects or have left the profession, before setting out key actions for meaningful, lasting change. The study will explore the intersections of gender with disability and ethnicity, the barriers and facilitators to progressing gender equity experienced by employers, what architecture can learn from similar professions, and what needs to change. The report will address: The causes of gender inequity in architecture The case for change – making it clear why we need a more equitable profession What works – best practice from the UK, the global profession, and other sectors What action is needed – next steps for professional bodies, employers, education providers, and the government, to change the profession for good – and how to overcome barriers to implementation https://lnkd.in/eZF2APJE

Within the UK, women continue to face a gender pay gap of 13.1%. This means that we’re still not making the most of women’s skills and experience, and that their contribution is often undervalued. This needs to change.   The Government is committed to improving the working lives of women across the country. That’s why Minister for Women and Equalities, Anneliese Dodds, met with Fawcett Society to discuss the issue and what needs to change to make sure women are able to succeed. 

Great to get Jemima Olchawski of the Fawcett Society on BBC Woman’s Hour talking about the disbanding of the Women's Equality Party UK alongside Emma Graham-Harrison from the The Guardian. Thank you Dianne McGregor and Emma Pearce. https://lnkd.in/ezFFtdQi

Read our reaction to the Budget 2024 - Jemima Olchawski, Fawcett Society Chief Executive: “New data revealed that the mean Gender Pay Gap has increased for the first time in a decade. The new government has committed to economic growth, which cannot be achieved with half our team on the bench. The challenge facing our first female Chancellor today was to take concrete and concerted action to close that gap. Increasing the National Minimum Wage, especially for younger women, is an excellent place to start - injecting increased income for the lowest paid women. Public sector funding must keep pace with these increased costs to ensure that services are not cut. “Soaring childcare costs and unpaid care work still present a major barrier to work for mothers. Fawcett was pleased to see the Chancellor sustain funding for early years and increase funding for schools and SEND provision. Increases in eligibility for the Carers Allowance will also benefit women and help more of the many who want or need to work. We are disappointed not to see the major investments needed to end the motherhood penalty for all - we hope that a full revamp of early education will be part of the Spring Spending Review. “As the first female Chancellor, it was inspiring to hear Rachel Reeves speak to girls and young women directly from the dispatch box. This was a historic moment which follows centuries of undervaluing women’s contribution to economics. It's no coincidence that she has therefore been the first Chancellor to commit to closing the gender pay gap. To make that a reality, she should now lead a cross-government strategy to reduce the Gender Pay Gap and invest substantially in the major barriers to women’s equality: childcare, parental leave and social care. The Fawcett Society will continue to work alongside the government to strive for inclusive growth which delivers equality for all women.” https://lnkd.in/eizjfYmi

Sadly the #genderpaygap is going in the wrong direction - this year it falls on 20th Nov, according to Fawcett Society analysis. That’s 6 weeks of the year where UK women stops getting paid compared to men. 6. Whole. Weeks. We literally can’t afford to be complacent when it comes to #equality.