Women and Work - Shaping a Fairer Future
In the 30 years since the Equal Pay Act, there have been many advances in women's position in society and at work. More women are in employment and occupy a greater number of senior positions. Girls are outperforming boys at school and their aspirations are high. Despite these important changes, the pay and opportunity gap for women remains.
Women and Work - Shaping a Fairer Future (PDF, 1.0 Mb)
Published February 2006
In the 30 years since the Equal Pay Act, there have been many advances in women's position in society and at work. More women are in employment and occupy a greater number of senior positions. Girls are outperforming boys at school and their aspirations are high. Despite these important changes, the pay and opportunity gap for women remains.
The complex and interrelated nature of the causes of the gender pay gap means that we have recommended sustained action to be taken by a range of players. Our task was to consider how to close the pay and opportunities gap in a generation. Momentum must not be lost if this challenge is to be met.
We recommend practical ways forward to make a real difference to women's lives. But they can only be effective if all players are committed to the progress our recommendations represent. Now is the time for action, and we urge all concerned to implement the recommendations in full. Our recommendations set out a system to ensure that such actions become embedded into the work of the Government, through Public Service Agreement targets, through the operation of a Ministerial Committee, and through our review in a year’s time.
