A Fair Deal For Women Report 2016
Part 1: Women Speak Out on the Economy
and Work and Family Life
2
November 2016
About the Women’s
Resource Centre
WRC is a unique charity that supports women’s organisations to be more effective
and sustainable. We provide training, information, resources and one-to-one support
on a range of organisational development issues. We also lobby decision makers on
behalf of the women’s not-for-profit sector for improved representation and funding.
and girls, employment, education, rights and equality, the criminal justice system and
the environment. They deliver services to and campaign on behalf of some of the
most marginalised communities of women. There are approximately 20,000 women’s
organisations across the country serving millions of women every year.
For more information on our work, please contact:
Vivienne Hayes
Chief Executive
[email protected]
020 7697 3450
Press contact:
Florence Burton
Communications and Campaigns Officer
[email protected]
[email protected]
2016 © Women’s Resource Centre
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Our members work in a wide range of fields including health, violence against women
Acknowledgements
WRC would like to thank its staff team and volunteers who have produced this. Our
sincere thanks to Florence Burton, Hana Al-Izzi, Björg Sigríður Hermannsdóttir, Svenja
van Gunsteren, Stephanie Murphy, and Rabia Khan for their hard work on this project.
WRC would like to thank Comic Relief for their support in the undertaking of this
vital project and for their ongoing support of the women’s voluntary and community
November 2016
sector.
4
A word from our Chief
Executive Officer
This report which gathers evidence from research undertaken by various agencies
makes stark reading. Although not a surprise to the thousands of women and girls up
and down our country who are living at the sharp edge of unfair and discriminatory
policies and practices, it is nevertheless shocking that in 2016 we still have far to go in
growing need of many women and girls and just at the time when they need support
most we see services dwindling and at risk of disappearance.
Research consistently demonstrates that the best guarantee to secure and protect
women’s rights is the independent action of women’s movements and organisations.
We call upon decision makers to reverse the current “gender blind” policy making
which in practice means unfair, disproportionate disadvantage for women. And we
call upon decision-makers to adequately, sustainably resource the local specialist
women’s organisation that provide cost effective, high quality support for the most
disadvantaged.
“If you are from an ordinary working class
family, life is just much harder than many
people in politics realise1”.
Theresa May, 2016.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
achieving justice, rights and equality for women and girls. Despite the continuing and
About this report
This report is a product of two of WRC’s projects: Women Speak Out (http://
womenspeakout.wrc.org.uk) and A Fair Deal for Women (http://fairdealforwomen.
com). Both are aimed at shedding light on the interconnected nature of women’s
inequality in the UK, which spreads across all areas of women’s lives – ranging from
poverty, to violence, racism, disablism, unequal representation, and unequal access
to justice and human rights.
A Fair Deal for Women is a women’s sector collaborative campaign of 13 organisations
led by WRC, and is a resource of research, statistics and expert opinion on women’s
inequality. It also provides solutions to the barriers women face, and asks the
November 2016
government to take up its recommendations.
Women Speak Out is a WRC project that aims to show a diversity of voices from
women who face inequality daily through video. We meet women from all walks of life
who are speaking out to bring you the real experiences behind the statistics. Women
Speak Out provides women with media training on how to conduct interviews, how
to present stories, and how to work with journalists to encourage them to speak out
further about their experiences. We want to bring women’s voices into the media, and
empower women to feel confident in telling their story. We also encourage women’s
engagement with decision makers, and attendance at special events to speak directly
to those in power.
6
This report links the statistics to the everyday experiences of women, and joins the
dots of women’s inequality across all areas of their lives.
If you would like to speak to any of the women who are quoted in this report – please
get in touch. Many of the women have received media training and would like to give
interviews on the barrier’s they have faced.
www.fairdealforwomen.com campaign website. We are releasing these chapters in
3 separate reports, so please look out for the others. For more information please
contact [email protected].
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
The report is split into 7 chapters corresponding to 7 different policy asks on our
November 2016
Meet the women
Sophie P
Shirley
Sophie is an art practitioner and writer. In the last
Shirley is a chartered psychologist and a retired
15 years she has received the Independent Living
university lecturer. Shirley has been left feeling
Fund with which she can afford different and
disempowered by the changes made to State
fairly paid carers who help her to do what she
Pensions age (SPA). Like many women, she did
otherwise couldn’t. Without that she wouldn’t be
not receive a reasonable notification period
able to work and take part in public life. Sophie is
about the changes made to her pension and
worried about any changes on the horizon to her
therefore did not have time to prepare and plan
disability benefits.
for the adjustments. Shirley is a strong advocate
of a gender balanced parliament as she thinks
the government would make better decisions
about women’s lives if there were more women
involved. Shirley believes there won’t be true
democracy until women are fairly represented.
Elaine
Elaine is a mother and grandmother from Bexley,
London. She works hard as a midwife and really
enjoys it. There is a chronic housing shortage in
the UK and the government is prioritising building
‘affordable’ housing, which is not affordable for
many families. Elaine highlights that there is an
increasing demand for social housing, but the
government has failed to supply social housing to
families who desperately need it.
8
Kerri
Eleanor is a trainer and advocate for disabled
Kerri is a young woman who left university after
women’s rights. After having lived abroad (in
losing her mother when she was 21. Since the
France and the US ) for several years, she came
death of her mother Kerri has acted as a carer for
back to the UK for a job. She co-founded Sisters
her young sister. As a result of this turbulent time
of Frida to help disabled women who face daily
Kerri experienced 8 months of unemployment.
barriers. The Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Her resilience, and the help of the Young
helps her with her mobility and care costs which
Women’s Trust’s coach programme, led finally to
supplements the few hours care package from
an apprenticeship, and then to a job. She wants
her local authority, so she’s very worried about
stigma around unemployment to end.
what might happen now that DLA is being phased
out.
Arabella
Arabella is a 17 year old student with a passion
Sophie K
for fine arts. As other young women of the same
Sophie is a young mum of two, who works for
age, she has experienced forms of aggressive
the NHS and is also a part time Masters student.
male sexual behaviour and she thinks that
Like other young mums, Sophie has had a tough
gender stereotypes and a low awareness of what
time balancing full time work, part time study and
sexual violence is could be challenged through
looking after her children. Increased cuts by the
compulsory sex and relationship education in
government have made it even tougher for young
schools. Arabella thinks people should have a
mums to maintain work and afford childcare.
better understanding of discrimination against
black women, as they experience racism and
sexism.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Eleanor
Jenny
Mena
Jenny is a young woman from Bristol who enjoys
Mena describes herself as a ‘jack of a few
creative writing, blogging and is passionate about
trades’. She is a Purposeful Coach, a Trainer, a
mental health. Jenny was made a carer at a very
Motivational Speaker, a Creative, an Activist, a
young age. Her mum passed away a few years ago,
Black Feminist, an American Footballer, a Lover of
when she was still a student, after suffering from
Life and believes your aspirations are completely
Parkinson’s disease. She wants the government
in your hands. She is passionate about equality,
to help young people like her by providing more
social change and the development of people.
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help and support through the education system.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
11
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 13
1 Economy........................................................................................................... 14
1.1 Public spending.............................................................................................................14
1.2 Equal Taxation and tax credits.....................................................................................20
1.3 Funding of Local Authorities.......................................................................................22
2 Work and family life........................................................................................... 26
2.1 Gender Pay Gap.......................................................................................................... 26
2.2 Gendered Career Paths...............................................................................................31
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2.3 Workplace Discrimination..........................................................................................35
2.4 Zero Hour Contracts................................................................................................... 39
2.5 Care Responsibilities...................................................................................................41
2.6 Pensions.....................................................................................................................45
Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................48
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Introduction
This report contains two chapters on women’s inequality in the UK focusing on
Economy, and Work and Family Life. These chapters correspond to the ‘asks of the
government’ from our Fair Deal for Women campaign http://fairdealforwomen.com/.
The following chapters will show how successive government decisions to cut public
spending have impacted negatively upon the lives of women and their children in the
cuts, local authority funding and disability benefits to illustrate this. Women are also
at an economic disadvantage from the gender pay gap, workplace discrimination, and
many have been financially penalised due to changes in state pension age. This report
also seeks to assess the impact of caring responsibilities on women.
We look at a range of reports and statistics, but we also seek to provide potential
solutions for decision makers to tackle the problems women face today. However
these potential solutions are ideas for consideration, and do not necessarily represent
the final policy position of every organisation.
The voices of women from WRC’s Women Speak Out project also provide an insight into
how their lives are affected by government’s economic decisions and the barriers faced by
women in the workplace, and the barriers to achieving balance between work and family life.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
UK. This report looks at many economic factors including social housing, tax credit
November 2016
1
1.1
Economy
Public spending
“My message to policy makers is to think carefully, we are
all human-beings”
Shirley
Key Issues
After being elected in 2010, the Coalition Government decided to reduce the deficit*
rather than continue to increase borrowing. It made the decision to impose an agenda
of public spending cuts, rather than to raise taxes. This agenda and the choices made
about where to make the cuts have disproportionately impacted upon the lives of
women. This is because women are more likely than men to be recipients of the benefits
that have been cut. Lone parents are disproportionately female and women almost
*
The deficit is the difference between government income and expenditure. Government spend more
than their income, this is known as a deficit. In order to be able to continue spending government borrow money
(mainly from the population). This borrowing is known as the debt. Despite austerity none of the debt has been
paid off. In fact it has got larger (see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/02/19/how-large-is-the-uksnational-debt-and-why-does-it-matter/) . What has happened to a small degree is the gap between government
spending and borrowing has been narrowed so there is a small (below target) reduction in the deficit. A great deal
of pain for almost no gain.
14
always have primary childcare responsibilities. Because women are over represented
among the poor they qualify for housing benefits. They work in low-paid and parttime jobs and as a result have greater reliance on public services to meet their basic
needs, and provide for children. Lone parent mothers have been, and will continue to
be, most severely impacted by benefit cuts. This is exacerbated for Black and Minority
Ethnic (BME) and disabled women who suffer disproportionately from poverty.
in social security spending announced in
2010 that will be implemented, 81% will
come from women
Shirley
Shirley is a chartered psychologist and a retired university lecturer. Shirley has
been left feeling disempowered by the changes made to State Pension Age (SPA).
Like many women, she did not receive a reasonable notification period about
the changes made to her pension and therefore did not have time to prepare
and plan for the adjustments. Shirley vis a strong advocate of a gender balanced
parliament as she thinks the government would make better decisions about
women’s lives if there were more women involved. Shirley believes there won’t
be true democracy until women are fairly represented.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
81%
Of the £82 billion in tax increases and cuts
Facts
1. Of the £82 billion in tax increases and cuts in social security spending announced
in 2010 that will be implemented 81% will come from women according to
Women’s Budget Group in 2015.2 More recent reports have suggested this
figure is even higher in 2016.3
2. Cuts to working tax credits will affect lone parents with low income the most
severely, as compared to couples with children. Lone parents are estimated to
lose £1000 a year by 2020 as a result of the cuts.4
3. Lone parents with one child, working full-time and earning the National
Minimum Wage reached 97% of the Minimum Income Standard in 2010, but will
only reach 71% of it in 2020.5
4. Reduction in childcare benefit resulted in 24% of mothers giving up work to
November 2016
care for their children.6
5. Single women, many of whom are parents, make up 50% of recipients of housing
benefit.7
6. Housing is becoming unaffordable, especially for single women and lone parent
mothers who have to balance part time work and child responsibilities. Women
are often poorer and so are less likely to be able to get on the property ladder,
so cuts to social housing hit them hardest; and women are in greater need of
affordable rented accommodation from housing associations8.
7. Over 57,000 people fell behind on their rent in one year after being hit by the
Bedroom Tax, stating they had benefits cut for ‘under-occupying’ their home.9
8. The ‘Bedroom Tax’ has resulted in greater economic hardship for women hit as
they receive lower housing benefit.10
9. The transition to Universal Credit has resulted in disabled women facing
increased costs and reduced benefits when working. For some, staying in work
even results in net financial loss.11 It also poses risks of financial abuse12.
10.Starting in 2016, the benefit cap will be reduced from £26,000 per year to
£23,000 for households in London and to £20,000 for those outside London.13 16
Elaine
midwife and really enjoys it. There is a chronic housing shortage in the UK and the
government is prioritising building ‘affordable’ housing, which is not affordable
for families like Elaine’s Elaine highlights that there is an increasing demand for
social housing but the government has failed to supply social housing to the most
vulnerable families in the UK.
“The bedroom tax hasn’t done anything expect make poor people miss out”
“In Bexley where I live there are 700 people on the waiting list, 700 people.
Times that by 32 boroughs is 22,000 people desperately wanting a home”
On government plans for ‘affordable’ £250,000 homes she says:
“Affordable housing; affordable for who? Not for my family, never for my
family”
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Elaine is a mother and grandmother from Bexley, London. She works hard as a
Potential solutions
• Conduct a gendered analysis of poverty and social security reforms. This
requires regular equality impact assessments to ensure that those who are
most vulnerable, including women with intersecting protected characteristics
(e.g. disability and race), are not disproportionally affected by cuts to public
services or social security.
• Remove the bedroom tax, as it has not been shown to free up accommodation.
Instead it penalises many across the UK.
• Urgently address the housing crisis to ensure there is enough provision of social
housing to minimise the impact on lone parent mothers.
• Implement systemic efforts to relieve poverty in the UK and ensure adequate
November 2016
social security provision, especially for lone parents.
• In order to provide a better picture of women’s poverty, the way data is collected
must change. Assuming that resources are shared within a household makes
women’s poverty invisible. It also fails to acknowledge the existence or risk of
financial abuse, which can occur in ostensibly comfortable households as well
as those that are poor.14
“The council say we can’t help you sorry, you’re going on
the list”
Elaine
18
Eleanor
Eleanor is a trainer and advocate for disabled women’s rights. After having lived
abroad (in France and the US) for several years, she came back to the UK for a job.
She co-founded Sisters of Frida to help disabled women who face daily barriers.
which supplements the few hours care package from her local authority, so she’s
very worried about what might happen now that DLA is being phased out.
“Even more worrying is this new Universal Benefit... None of us know what’s
going to happen, but I do know that women might lose control of the money
that they have because it’s going to go into a family pot”
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
The Disability Living Allowance (DLA) helps her with her mobility and care costs
1.2
Equal Taxation and tax credits
“We’ve had a lifetime of living inequality.”
Shirley
Key Issues
While cuts to childcare and social security have disproportionately impacted upon
women, men have benefited from tax concessions. This is because men earn more
per hour and therefore have a higher income so as a result in absolute terms pay more
tax (and women rely more on social security due to caring responsibilities and low
pay). In recent years, major changes have been made to tax credits. Child tax credit
reforms have hit women with partners on low incomes by penalising them financially
for returning to work after maternity leave. Meanwhile, top earners, the majority of
November 2016
whom are men, have benefited immensely from tax cuts.
Facts
1. The top 1% earners in the UK received £3 billion in tax cuts since 2010, of which
85% were men.15
2. The transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners will give
£411 million to men (84%), while only £84 million will go to women (16%).16
3. Tax credit cuts scheduled in 2016 are estimated to result in 800,000 of the
poorest people in work losing an average of £200-£300 per year in tax credits.17
4. According to an emergency budget, delivered by the government in 2015, child
tax credit will not be given for more than two children after April 2017.18 There is
also a so-called ‘rape clause’ added to this which means only women who can
demonstrate to the satisfaction of the authorities in DWP that their third child
is the result of rape will receive child tax credits for this third child..19 It implies
a eugenic style ‘two child policy’ for some based on income, and inevitably will
penalise poorer families as well as further penalising women who are pregnant
against their wishes or consent, financially and by undermining their dignity
and privacy.
20
Potential Solutions
• Increase the income threshold for working tax credits.
• Adjust taxation based on income, so that top earners pay taxes that are at least
proportionate to taxes paid by lower-income people.
• Adjust tax credits to the rate of inflation.
• Reverse the restrictions on child tax credit, housing benefit, and Universal
rights of third and subsequent children to drive already poor families further
into poverty.
• Restore child benefit as a universal and then raise it in line with real earnings.
Start child benefit from the first booking visit of pregnancy. This will enable
poorer women to feed themselves better in pregnancy so reducing preterm
births and improving the health of their infants. It will also draw women to their
midwife earlier in pregnancy giving the woman early access to support where a
range of needs could be identified and addressed improving mother’s general
health.
• Change some of the tax systems which benefit men over women and ensure that
tax systems are analysed for their impact on gender, race, disability and other
protected characteristics. This could include making sure that tax concessions
don’t necessarily go to the highest earner.
85%
The top 1% earners in the UK received
£3 billion in tax cuts since 2010, of which
85% were men.
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Credit for families with more than two children. It undermines the human
1.3
Funding of Local Authorities
“It would be nice to have a bit more care, but I wouldn’t
want to risk being reassessed, because being reassessed
means they could take everything away”.
Eleanor
Key Issues
Recent cuts to local authorities have left vital resources for women seriously at risk.
Forward projections of council income and spending indicate that statutory services
will consume all of council funding leaving no room for discretionary services which
can help kick-start improvements in the lives of poorer people. The evidence suggests
November 2016
that government decisions have resulted in more funding reaching wealthy areas at
the expense of more deprived communities. These funding reductions put women
on low incomes and particularly disabled women at much greater risk of falling into
poverty. Increases in a flat council tax as a consequence of cuts in government grants
hits low-income women the hardest. Disabled women are particularly vulnerable since
the Independent Living Fund was discontinued in 2015, ending central government
support for disabled people and placing it all into the control of councils. As disability
benefits are not ring-fenced they are vulnerable to cuts and likely to be affected to
varying degrees across the country.
Facts
1. In 2015, the government announced the decision to cut billions from funding of
local authorities, starting in April 2016.20
2. Between 2010/2011 and 2015/2016, local councils in England lost an average of
27% of their spending power, with some support services being cut by up to 45%.21
22
Sophie P
Sophie is an art practitioner and writer. In the last 15 years she has received
the Independent Living Fund with which she can afford different and fairly
paid carers who help her to do what she otherwise couldn’t. Without that she
wouldn’t be able to work and take part in public life. Sophie is worried about
any changes on the horizon to her disability benefits.
with the continued cuts she may lose this support. The Independent Living
Fund (ILF) prevented this postcode lottery…
“There’s the danger that I could in theory lose half my package. It’s scary
times for everyone really.”
3. Recent cuts in government funding of local councils will place a heavy burden
on less affluent localities and significantly impact services for older women and
disabled women.22
4. Increases in council taxes and an implementation of a ‘minimum payment’ will
additionally burden women living in poverty and their families meaning that
some of the poorest will have to pay a proportion of their council tax liability. 23
5. Government cuts are increasing inequalities between local councils and so
compounding the problems faced by the poorest in our society. The most
deprived localities faced cuts of over £220 per person, compared to under £40
per person in more affluent councils.24
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Sophie has a personal assistant with her pretty much all the time. However
Potential Solutions
• Establish ring-fenced statutory funding for disability benefits and services in
local councils.
• Better fund adult social services, to prevent poverty, and lack of services for
older women.
• Even out funding so local authorities covering areas of deprivation are making
no cuts or cuts considerably less than those being implemented in areas
where there is little deprivation. Halt and reverse discriminatory policies which
disproportionately impact upon disabled women to enable them to lead a life
November 2016
no less comfortable or empowered than any other member of society.
A lot of people will be reassessed, including myself, and
there might be some changes to what I get.
Eleanor
24
Between 2010/2011 and 2015/2016, local
councils in England lost an average of
27% of their spending power, with some
support services being cut by up to 45%.
Eleanor
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Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
“My personal care is covered by my local authority. They
decide what my cap package is and at the moment I have
about an hour a day and an extra hour for helping me prepare
meals for the week… It doesn’t cover house work, it doesn’t
cover shopping, it doesn’t cover anything else that I would
consider hygiene, like washing up, putting clothes in the
wash. None of that is covered”.
November 2016
2
2.1
Work and family life
Gender Pay Gap
“We have had a life time of living in inequality despite
legislation, which is theoretical. If you look at life in reality,
which is what the gender pay gap is about, they don’t match
up”.
Shirley
Key Issues
Women in the UK continue to be underpaid compared to men. They are overrepresented
in low-paid sectors and are less likely to work in secure or full-time positions or be
promoted to management roles. Multiple layers of systemic discrimination result in even
greater barriers for disabled women, BME women, and older women. This is because
they experience discrimination based on sex as well as race, age, and disability. Ending
the gender pay gap is of critical importance as part of ensuring economic equality in
the UK. The government has shown some commitment to reducing the gender pay
26
gap by stating its intention to introduce mandatory pay gap publishing by all those
who employ over 250 people. This, however, will not be of help for workers who are
employed in smaller businesses or self-employed contractors. Systemic efforts are
needed at all levels to prevent discrimination and to ensure that all women get full
compensation, adequate and fair benefits given their gender based responsibilities,
and are afforded as many opportunities as men to improve their economic standing.
earn 19.2% less than men.
Facts
1. According to the Global Gender Gap Report for 2016, the UK ranked 53rd in
terms of gender equality in Economic Participation and Opportunity.25
2. Women in the UK currently earn 19.2% less than men and the gender pay gap
is even greater for those over 40. Women between 50 and 59 years of age earn
27.3% less than men.26
3. The gender pay gap results in women earning on average £300,000 less than
men over the course of their careers.27
4. Persistent racial disparity exists in the UK workforce, placing BME women at a
disadvantage due to multiple layers of inequality. Black workers with a degree
earn £14.33 per hour, on average, whereas white workers with a degree earn
30% more, or £18.63 per hour.28
27
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Women in the UK currently
5. Disabled people are more likely to have low-paid jobs, be in debt, live in poverty,
work part-time, and earn less per hour than non-disabled people.29 This places
disproportionate burdens on disabled women. The government has also cut
access to work meaning employers are less likely to employ disabled workers.
6. Women make up the majority of low paid workers30 and one in every four female
workers, or a total of three million women, are now classified as on low pay.31
7. One in five young women has been offered a job that pays below the minimum
wage.32
8. Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008, close to a million women have
moved into low paid, insecure work; the number of under-employed women
has nearly doubled, and 371,000 women have moved into self-employment,
typically very low paid.33
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9. The majority (60%) of workers will not be covered by the mandatory pay gap
reporting if the employee threshold remains at 250.34
10.Women’s average personal pensions are only 62% of the average for men.35
Mena
Mena describes herself as a ‘jack of a few trades’. She is a Purposeful Coach,
a Trainer, a Motivational Speaker, a Creative, an Activist, a Black Feminist, an
American Footballer, a Lover of Life and believes your aspirations are completely in
your hands. She is passionate about equality, social change and the development
of people. Mena has experienced discrimination at work based on her race and
sex.
“Everyone knows that you shouldn’t be racist as work but just having that
standpoint isn’t enough to stop your actions or the things you say being
racist”
28
11. Products marked for women and girls are up to 37% more expensive than almost
identical products intended for men and boys, adding to financial gender
inequalities.36 Businesses, such as dry cleaners, have also been found to charge
women more than men for identical services.37
Potential Solutions
• Introduce mandatory pay gap reporting for companies with 50 or more
• Raise the minimum wage to a living wage, £8.25 per hour according to the
Living Wage Foundation38, to ensure that working
women are not forced into poverty by insufficient pay.
• Acknowledge persistent racial, gender and disability discrimination and bias
in the workforce, and require companies to report their strategies to ensure
equality in recruitment, hiring, and promotions among protected characteristics
and to report their results in eliminating discrimination.
Shirley campaigns with WASPI campaign group around
the unfair changes made to women’s state pension age,
and the inadequate notice given. She highlights that women have been
discriminated against during their working lives and are paid less, and face more
discrimination during retirement.
“As a woman I know I will retire with a lot less than if I was a man”
29
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
employees.
Arabella
Arabella is a 17 year old student with a passion for fine arts. As other young women
of the same age, she has experienced forms of aggressive male sexual behaviour
and she thinks that gender stereotypes and a low awareness of what sexual
violence is could be challenged through compulsory sexual and relationships
education in schools. Arabella thinks people should have a better understanding
of discrimination against black women, as they experience racism and sexism.
Arabella understands the intersecting discrimination that black women face. She
has experienced this at her college, but she is aware this continues throughout
November 2016
women’s lives and into work.
“You’re black AND a woman, so you face racism and sexism”.
From 2007 to 2012, the number of
Black and Black British people in top
management positions fell by a drastic
42%.
30
42%
2.2
Gendered Career Paths
“Women are poorer, even well paid women are paid less.”
Shirley
Key Issues
Women’s career paths are shaped by multiple factors. Gender stereotypes and
opportunities they are presented with; inflexible working conditions, overburden of
women with domestic and caring responsibilities and institutional barriers in a work
place designed for men domestically supported by women prevent many women
from accessing high paid roles; and racial and gender bias routinely impacts hiring
and promotion practices. Women, particularly BME women, are underrepresented in
leadership positions and women are overrepresented in low-paid, public sector jobs.
Facts
1. Although educational outcomes are higher for BME students than white students
in the UK,39 BME students must obtain higher grades to get into universities and
are underrepresented at prestigious universities as compared to their white
peers.40 This limits career opportunities for BME women.
2. Out of 17,215 professors in UK academia, there are 17 Black women (0.1%).41
3. Men dominate in highly paid apprenticeship sectors, while women are
overrepresented in lower paid sectors such as hairdressing, education and
social care.42
4. Women are less likely to get an apprenticeship contract than men, and this is
exacerbated for BME women, as less than 7% of all apprentices are from BME
backgrounds.
31
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
social expectations influence girls’ vocational interests and aspirations and the
Kerri
Kerri is a young woman who left university after losing her mother when she was
21. Since the death of her mother Kerri has acted as a carer for her young sister.
As a result of this turbulent time Kerri experienced 8 months of unemployment.
Her resilience, and the help of the Young Women’s Trust’s coach programme, led
finally to an apprenticeship, and then to a job.
“I was unemployed for eight months. I applied for about 200 jobs online. I
didn’t have any feedback whatsoever, so I had to remain resilient in applying
November 2016
for jobs”.
5. Women apprentices are also more likely to be employed in contracts of fewer
than 30 hours a week and more likely to not receive pay for their work.43
6. At present, two-thirds of women aged over 50 are employed in just three
sectors: education, health and retail.44
7. Women are also much more likely to work in the public sector, which means
that government cuts hit women harder than men in employment terms, as
well as in terms of cuts to services women use. The public sector reached twothirds women workers in 2012/13. Women are more likely to work in health and
education, and the changing structure of the public sector means that it is
likely to increase further45.
8. Women make up only 14% of STEM workforce46 and only 17% of girls aged 7 to 10
chose engineer, architect, scientist or lawyer as one of their top three potential
careers.45
9. Men are still significantly more likely (almost twice as likely) to be in manager,
director or senior official occupations than women.48
32
10.Among senior managers from a BME background, the proportion of women fell
from the year 2000 to 2007 (from 35% to 34%), while the proportion of women
among white senior managers rose significantly (from 35% to 46%).49 From
2007 to 2012, the number of Black and Black British people in top management
positions fell by a drastic 42%.50
11. In secondary schools, women are 62% of qualified teachers, but only 36% of
heads.51 In state funded schools, BME women take up only 2% of head positions.52
12.Hiring and promotion boards in academia tend to be majority male.53
potential. In 2013 nearly 13,000 men started engineering apprenticeships while
only 400 women did.54
Mena thinks that people should be taught a proper
understanding of what racism is, and how this leads to
unconscious bias which affects employment.
“I think what people don’t understand is racism defined is power plus
prejudice. So when the political, economic and social structures around
you favour one group over another”.
33
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
13.Men continue to dominate apprenticeships in fields with the best earnings
Potential Solutions
• Examine recruitment and hiring practices in the private and public sector to
eliminate discrimination and bias and increase employment opportunities for
BME women.
• Improve STEM pipeline by including gender bias training on teacher training
courses so teachers do not cause young girls to be inhibited from feeling
competent and interested and engage in maths and other STEM subjects.
• Make female role models visible to girls and revise the careers service so young
women and girls are given information on careers that are now regarded as for
boys.
• Address racism and gender inequalities in apprenticeships and establish an
equal and living minimum pay for all apprentices, across sectors irrespective
November 2016
of gender.
• Establish minimum standards for representation of women in senior level
positions and ensure ongoing monitoring of race and gender of employees and
leaders at all levels.
• Tackle work related gender stereotyping through education in schools. Provide
gender bias training for teachers and student teachers. Audit text books,
displays, teachers’ language and teaching materials for gender bias.
• Measure outcome in terms of the type and seniority and pay levels by gender in
past students five years after they leave school.
• Create targets for apprenticeships and aim for 50:50 recruitment to stop the
highest paid sectors remaining dominated by men.
• Take action to improve women’s access to, retention and progression in work
by assessing employment laws and practices for gender bias as well as bias
based on race, disability, age and other protected characteristics.
34
2.3
Workplace Discrimination
“Once I got married they said oh you might have children so
we won’t send you on any courses, we won’t train you.”
Shirley
Key Issues
discrimination based not only their sex but additionally, race, disability, age and
sexuality, negative stereotypes, institutional barriers, inflexible working conditions.
They also face harassment in the workplace and are routinely overlooked during
promotions and recruitment into senior management roles. Despite laws against
discrimination, many women still lose their jobs when becoming pregnant and mothers
encounter barriers to full participation in the workplace.
“I think stereotyping is the biggest challenge that I face…
Everyone has heard of the stereotype ‘angry black woman’,
so I feel like I have to overcompensate in certain scenarios
so people won’t label me as aggressive”.
Mena
35
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Discrimination against women in the workplace takes on various forms. Women face
Facts
“When we talk about including more women in our work I’m
like well let’s include more BME women in our work as for
me the two come hand in hand”.
Mena
1. BME graduates are underrepresented in the workplace55 and commonly face
racial harassment and discrimination at work.56
2. Despite various statutory rights protecting mothers in the workplace, one in
nine mothers reported having been forced out of the workplace after becoming
pregnant.57
November 2016
3. BME women were more likely than white women to report financial loss, lack of
opportunities, loss of status, and decreased job security after having children.58
“If I am going to share a story or share an experience with
someone, particularly if it is in the workplace with a colleague
you have to have a really strong tangible example which is
evidence based. The problem with daily micro-aggression is
that they are underhand and subtle so they are much harder
to prove”.
Mena
4. Women start facing fewer promotion prospects around age 45, while men stop
progressing around 55 years of age.59
5. An overwhelming 77% of mothers reported having had a negative or
discriminatory experience at the workplace during pregnancy, maternity leave,
or after returning from maternity leave.60
36
6. While the government acknowledged that a new contract for junior doctors
discriminates against lone parents – most of whom are women – and doctors
who work part-time or take time off for family responsibilities, the adverse
impact on women was described as “comfortably justified”. 61
7. Over 40% of women in architecture reported having experienced sexual
discrimination in professional meetings.62
8. Tribunal fees of £1,200 for sex discrimination claims were introduced in 201363,
resulting in a 75% drop in such claims in England and Wales and an 87% drop in
9. Studies suggest that women are judged more negatively than men when
speaking up assertively in the workplace65 and that mothers are more likely to
be viewed as less committed at work after having children than fathers are.66
10.By removing barriers to women’s career progression and better harnessing
women’s skills in the workplace, the UK could gain an estimated £23 billion, or
2% of the GDP.67
One in nine mothers reported having
been forced out of the workplace after
becoming pregnant.
11. Unconscious bias training and equal pay audits have been found to reduce
discrimination in the workplace.68
37
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Scotland over the following two years.64
Potential Solutions
• Take action on discrimination in the workplace, including pregnancy and
maternity discrimination.
• Install in-house ethics boards (with a representation quota for BME women,
LGBT people, disabled workers) to evaluate discrimination claims made against
organisations/companies.
• Scrap employment tribunal fees so women are not discouraged from taking
discrimination cases to tribunal. Also extend the deadline to submit a case of
pregnancy discrimination. At the moment women only have three months from
the discriminatory act(s), which is not enough time if women are about to or
have just had a baby.
• Take steps to inform women of the options they have to fight gender-based
• Implement interventions that have been found to be effective to reduce gender
and racial discrimination, such as regular equal pay audits, unconscious bias
training, and equality monitoring.
“I think there is something about people taking responsibility
for their own actions but also something around personal
development and our systems and our structures as a whole
as retraining how people think. This idea that ‘I’m not racist’
… it is not good enough as it doesn’t stop racism”.
Mena
1`
November 2016
discrimination.
38
2.4
Zero Hour Contracts
“There were days where I felt really down. There were some
days where I would just stay in bed and not do anything
whatsoever. Then there were other times where I felt really
motivated and applied for numerous jobs”
Kerri
Women are more likely to be on a zero hour contract than men, and are therefore
more vulnerable to the prevalent exploitation of such contracts. In addition to having
no guaranteed weekly work hours or income, workers on zero hour contracts are also
not entitled to common workers’ rights. This has greater impact on women than men,
due to greater caring responsibilities.
Facts
1. A majority (55%) of people on zero hour contracts are women.69
2. One in eight low-income women report being on zero hour contracts.70
3. Two-fifths of workers on zero hour contracts earn less than the minimum to
qualify for statutory sick pay.71
4. The use of zero hour contracts has increased eightfold in the past 10 years,
from 100,000 in 2005 to over 800,000 in 2015.72 It has been estimated that the
real number of zero hour contracts is in fact much higher, as many workers are
unaware of the nature of their contract.73
39
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Key Issues
Potential Solutions
• Ensure zero hour contract workers have access to their full employment
rights and a minimum leave, maternity/parental leave and sickness absence
entitlement and a minimum annual payment irrespective of hours worked.
• Zero hours contracts must not be exclusive so allowing employees to hold more
than one contract with a variety of companies if they wish.
• Provide access to affordable legal assistance to all workers who wish to pursue
November 2016
justice for exploitation or discrimination and remove the fee for tribunals.
The use of zero hour contracts
800%
has increased eightfold in the
past 10 years
40
2.5
Care Responsibilities
“I didn’t get any benefit when she was born as I didn’t know
what sort of benefit I could be entitled to and nobody was
helping me in that sense… Sometimes I used to cut classes
because I couldn’t afford to let my daughter go to the nanny”
Sophie K
Women in the UK spend more time than men on household chores, raising children,
and engaging in unpaid care work. Although there have been small improvements
in the amount of time men now spend caring for children, the responsibility for
ensuring everyone is fed, has clean clothes and a comfortable environment in which
their emotional and educational needs are met falls largely to women. While caring
for children and family members can be rewarding, caring responsibilities add to
women’s workload, and the mental effort of managing a household is exhausting. The
time commitment can also restrict their job opportunities and career progression.
In part because of unpaid caring responsibilities, women are more likely than men to
work part-time and this contributes to women’s economic disadvantage.
Three out of four women believe
they have primary responsibility
of caring for their children.
41
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Key Issues
Facts
1. Over 40% of women work part time compared to 12% of men.74
2. Childcare is most expensive in the UK out of all OECD countries75 and childcare
costs make up to 33% of the average household income in the UK.76
3. Three out of four women believe they have primary responsibility of caring for
their children.77
4. The gender pay gap and the high cost of childcare in the UK means that mothers
with male partners are often forced to reduce their work hours or give up work
altogether, while lone parent mothers are left in economic hardship.78
5. Research indicates that neither men nor women in the UK support the idea of
fathers of young children working part time or staying at home while mothers
work full time. Little support has also been found for both mothers and fathers
November 2016
of young children working full time.79 These results suggest ongoing societal
pressures on mothers to reduce their work hours or leave work upon having a
child.
6. Equal, paid parental leave can help address gender discrimination and the
gender pay gap,80 by promoting men’s childcare responsibilities and family
involvement.
7. Of young women not in education, employment, or training, 44% reported that
finding a job that allows them to care for family members other than their own
children was important to them.81
8. Women make up 73% of those receiving Carer’s Allowance for caring 35 hours
or more a week. Caring also affects men and women at different times. Women
are far more likely than men to care in middle age82.
9. The Women and Equalities Select Committee says all jobs should be made
“flexible by default” unless there is a strong case for them not to be83.
42
Potential solutions
• Implement a high-quality, affordable, universal childcare system throughout
the UK.
• We call for a period of leave dedicated to fathers or second carers after the
birth of a child paid at a decent wage replacement rate. This would incentivise
fathers or second carers to play a greater role in childcare.
• Tackle gender stereotypes through education to help work towards women and
on equally valuing care and work responsibilities and teaching both genders the
basics of running a household.
• Consider the options of a shorter working week to make allowances and time
for care responsibilities.
• Provide more financial and emotional support to those providing unpaid care,
especially young carers, paying attention to how they could be helped through
the education system.
• Implement family friendly and flexible working conditions to enable working
parents and women with caring responsibilities to remain in the workforce.
• Take steps to ensure caring is valued higher in society, and work towards a
caring economy. See “PLAN F” Women’s Budget Group’s feminist economic
strategy for a caring and sustainable economy84.
43
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
men taking on more equal caring responsibilities. An emphasis should be placed
Jenny
Jenny is a young woman from Bristol who enjoys creative writing, blogging and
is passionate about mental health. Jenny was made a carer at a very young age.
Her mum passed away a few years ago when she was still a student after suffering
from Parkinson’s disease.
“When I was made a carer I had to take on most the responsibilities at home.
I want the government to help support young people like me through the
November 2016
education system”
44
2.6
Pensions
“The changes they are making to women state pensions
they have done it in the name of equality. They want to
equalise us. But they are actually making us less equal”.
Shirley
While the gender pay gap has proved resistant to change, an even greater
inequality pervades the UK pension system. Due to a combination of women being
overrepresented in lower level jobs and low paid sectors, women taking more career
breaks than men due to caring responsibilities, and income inequalities, women
are entitled to significantly lower pensions under the current system. Recently, the
government announced an increase in women’s state pension age from 60 to 65 with
very short notice, or in some cases without informing women about the changes at all,
leaving many women without the time to adequately financially plan for this significant
loss in income.
Facts
1. Women’s personal pension savings are 62% of the average for men,85 making the
pension gap considerably larger than the gender pay gap. This is due to many
factors such as time out of work for caring responsibilities, and low pay.
2. Due to lack of pensions training by employers, and lack of adequate information
given to women, 60% of women reported not being aware of their retirement
options86 and 78% of women reported not knowing how much they need to save
for a comfortable retirement.87 This can also be attributed to traditional gender
roles within the family, and a sexual division of labour.
3. In 1995, the government changed the state pension age from 60 to 65 years for
women born in 1955, and then changed it to 66 years in 2011, but many women
45
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Key Issues
were not notified of this change until two years before the anticipated start
of their pension payments.88 Recent changes affected 500,000 women born
between 1950-196089.
4. By 2020, un-partnered women pensioners will have experienced the greatest
decrease in living standards in the UK, along with lone parent mothers. Living
standards of both groups are estimated to drop by about 20%.90
Potential Solutions
• Assess the potential impact of any proposed changes in pensions on women’s
finances and take action to remove any gap between their income after
retirement and that of men.
• Implement measures aimed at educating women about retirement options and
November 2016
financial planning.
• Conduct a gendered review of the pension system and address gender pension
inequalities, for example by counting unpaid childcare and other caring
responsibilities towards State Pension.
• Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s
(born on or after the 6th April 1951).
46
Women’s personal pension
savings are 62% of the
average for men
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
47
Concluding remarks
This report sets out the impact of successive governments’ decisions to cut public
spending and shows the detrimental impact it has and is still having upon women and
the children they are supporting. It is clear that 80% of public spending cuts have
been made at the expense of women. Furthermore BME women and disabled women
have suffered disproportionate additional public spending cuts with significant impact
on their lives. It seems perverse that the most marginalised women in our society
are those hit hardest when the government wants to balance the books, whilst those
who could afford to contribute more to dealing with the deficit have tax cuts, which
disproportionately benefit the wealthier, and men over women.
A gendered analysis is needed across all government policy making to assess the
November 2016
impact policies will have on women and those with other protected characteristics
such as race and disability. Particular attention must be paid to this with regards to
poverty and social security as women are so greatly affected by changes to these.
Policies should be adjusted to reverse the current economic inequality in society.
Women are more likely to be concentrated in low paid and insecure work, and regularly
suffer from workplace discrimination, such as harassment or maternity discrimination.
Women also take on the majority of unpaid caring to the apparent detriment to their
careers and earning potential.
Women should not be punished financially for taking on these responsibilities. With
the additional lack of a properly funded care system, women should be rewarded for
taking on unpaid care work rather than being plunged into poverty. Flexible working
and properly funded affordable childcare are among the many recommendations we
make for a more equal society. We outline that measures should be taken by decision
makers to address gender stereotypes through education, and unconscious bias
training should become part of employers’ training strategy for their staff.
We recommend that decision makers ensure steps are taken to ensure a greater value
is placed on caring, or care responsibilities through the education system, and through
providing more emotional and financial support to those with caring responsibilities.
At present this work is undervalued, and women’s massive contribution to it over their
48
lifetimes is undermined through the lack of support provided to women caring for
children, partners or relatives, and to the little pay received by care workers.
The UK Women’s Budget Group, and Scottish Women’s Budget Group, propose PLAN
F which is “a long term feminist economic plan to invest in creating a caring and
sustainable economy – and to fund it by measures such as cancelling plans for a new
Trident submarine, ending tax giveaways that benefit better-off men much more than
low income women, and cracking down on aggressive tax avoidance and evasion. A
caring and sustainable economy is based on mutual support and respect for rights.
It is oriented to the broad and inclusive aim of improving our well-being in ways that
for people and for the planet”91.
We recommend a move towards an economy that places greater value on care. We
request that decision makers place this on their agenda immediately.
49
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
reduce inequalities, not only today, but also for future generations. It prioritises care
Endnotes
1
The Telegraph (2016) Conservative MPs in uproar as Boris Johnson ‘rips party apart’ by withdrawing
from leadership contest after ambush by Michael Gove, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/30/borisjohnson-wont-run-for-prime-minister-after-michael-gove-ent/
2
Women’s Budget Group (2015) The impact on women of the Autumn Statement and Comprehensive
Spending Review 2015,
http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/WBG_CSR_FullResponse_final_8Dec15.pdf
3
House of Commons Hansard(2015) Women and the Economy, https://hansard.parliament.uk/
Commons/2015-12-09/debates/15120945000005/WomenAndTheEconomy#contribution-15120945001177
4
BBC (2015) Tax credits: Winners and losers, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34572807
5
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) Will the 2015 summer budget improve living standards in 2020?
https://www.jrf.org.uk/file/47386/download?token=pjSRDUxs‌&filetype‌=summary
6
Fawcett Society (2013) The triple jeopardy: The impact of benefit cuts on Women http://www.
fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/02/benefits/
7
Fawcett Society (2013) The triple jeopardy: the impact of benefit cuts on women, http://www.
fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/02/benefits/
November 2016
8
International Business Times (2016) Housing Bill: The government’s attempts to remove social housing
affects women the most, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/housing-bill-governments-attempts-remove-socialhousing-affects-women-most-1539527
9
The Independent (2016) More than 57,000 people hit by bedroom tax fall behind on rent Government
report reveals,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bedroom-tax-report-government-57000-renthousing-benefit-spare-room-subsidy-a7149781.html
10
Fawcett Society (2013) The triple jeopardy: The impact of benefit cuts on Women http://www.
fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/02/benefits/
11
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (2015) Rebalancing Universal Credit: Making it work of everyone, https://www.
citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/corporate‌/rebalancing-universal-credit-making-it-workfor-everyone.pdf
12
Women’s Aid and the TUC (2015) Unequal trapped and controlled: Women’s experiences of financial
abuse and the potential implications for Universal Credit, https://www.womensaid.org.uk/financial-abusereport/
13
Entitled To (2016) Benefit Changes 2016, http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Benefit_Changes_
April_2016
14
Bennett and Daly for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2014) Poverty through a Gender Lens:
Evidence and Policy Review on Gender and Poverty https://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/uploads/tx_oxford/files/
Gender%20and%20poverty%20Bennett%20and%20Daly%20final%2012%205%2014%2028%205%2014_01.pdf
15
Daily Hansard Debate (2014) Column 278, Catherine McKinnell, http://www.publications.parliament.
uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140409/debtext/140409-0001.htm
16
Ibid.
17
Red Kite Community Housing (2016) Welfare Reform, http://redkitehousing.org.uk/our-services-toyou/financial-support/welfare-reform
18
HM Treasury and George Osborne (2015) Summer Budget announcements, https://www.gov.uk/
government/news/summer-budget-2015-key-announcements
19
Guardian (2016) UN asks government to explain two-child cap on child tax credit
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/21/two-child-cap-child-benefit-un-snp
20
Department for Communities and Local Government (2015) Greg Clark hails historic 4-year
50
settlement and support for adult social care, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/greg-clark-hails-historic4-year-settlement-and-support-for-adult-social-care
21
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) The cost of the cuts: the impact on local government and poorer
communities
https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/cost-cuts-impact-local-government-and-poorer-communities
22
Guardian (2015) Councils face billions more in budget cuts from April, http://www.theguardian.com/
society/2015/dec/17/councils-face-billions-more-budget-cuts-april-england-local-authorities-fundingsettlement
23
Guardian (2016) Cuts in council tax support are no joke for poorer residents http://www.theguardian.
com/society/2016/apr/05/cuts-council-tax-support-benefits-no-joke
24
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2015) The cost of the cuts: the impact on local government and
poorer communities, http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/cost-cuts-impact-local-government-and-poorercommunities
26
House of Commons and Women and Equalities Committee (2016 The Gender Pay Gaphttp://www.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmwomeq/584/584.pdf
27
Robert Half (2016) The UK Gender Pay Gap, https://www.roberthalf.co.uk/press/uk-gender-pay-gap
28
Traders Union Congress (2016) Black workers with degrees earn a quarter less than white
counterparts, finds TUC
https://www.tuc.org.uk/equality-issues/black-workers/labour-market/black-workers-degrees-earn-quarterless-white
29
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (2014) Rebalancing Universal Credit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Global/Migrated_Documents/corporate/11-sept--final--report-rebalancing-universal-credit.pdf
30
Fawcett Society (2013) Cutting Women Out, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/03/cuttingwomen-out/
31
Fawcett Society (2013)Women working in low paid, insecure or temporary roles on the rise,
http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2014/08/women-working-low-paid-insecure-temporary-roles-rise/
32
Young Women’s Trust (2014) Interim Report,http://www.youngwomenstrust.org/assets/0000/1844/
YWT_InterimReport_LR.pdf
33
Fawcett Society (2014) Low Paid Women Firmly Shut Out of Recovery, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.
uk/2014/08/new-research-low-paid-women-firmly-shut-recovery/
34
Government Equalities Office (2015) Closing the Gender Pay Gap, https://www.gov.uk/government/
uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data‌/file/450878/Gender_Pay_Gap‌_Consultation.pdf
35
Fawcett Society (2013) Cutting Women Out, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/03/cuttingwomen-out/
36
Times (2016)Women charged more on ‘sexist’ high street http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/money/
consumeraffairs/article4668903.ece
37
Guardian (2016) ‘Pink taxes’: higher expenses for women add insult to gender pay gap injury,
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/22/gender-based-pink-taxes-women
38
Living Wage Foundation (2016) http://www.livingwage.org.uk/what-living-wage
39
Independent (2014) Britain’s hidden racism: Workplace inequality has grown in the last decade,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britains-hidden-racism-workplace-inequality-hasgrown-in-the-last-decade-9898930.html
40
Runnymede Trust (2015), Black Students Must do Better than White Students to get into University
51
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
25
World Economic Forum (2016), The Global Gender Gap Report, http://reports.weforum.org/globalgender-gap-report-2016/economies/#economy=GBR
http://www.runnymedetrust.org/news/594/272/Black-Students-Must-do-Better-than-White-Students-toget-into-University.html
41
Ibid.
42
BMRB Social Research (2005) Apprenticeship Pay: A Survey of Earnings by Sector, http://webarchive.
nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education‌.gov‌.uk‌‌ /publications‌/eOrderingDownload‌/
RR674‌.pdf
43
Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (2013), Apprenticeship pay survey 2012
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-pay-survey-2012
44
Commons Select Committee (2015) Gender pay gap inquiry launched,
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalitiescommittee/news-parliament-2015/gender-pay-gap-launch-15-16/
45
pdf
IFS (2014) The public sector workforce: past, present and future, http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn145.
46
Telegraph (2015) Sex Discrimination Act at 40: We women aren’t pigging out on equality yet,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/sex-discrimination-act-at-40-we-women-arent-pigging-outon-equality-yet/
November 2016
47
Girlguiding (2015) Girls Attitudes Survey, http://new.girlguiding.org.uk/latest-updates/making-adifference/girls-attitudes-survey-2015
48
Office of National Statistics (2013), Full Report – Women in the Labour Market, http://www.ons.gov.
uk/ons/dcp171776_328352.pdf
49
Business in the Community (2008) Race to the top: The place of ethnic minority groups in the UK
workforce, http://race.bitc.org.uk/system/files/research/race_to_the_top_report_3.pdf
50
Business in the Community (2012) Race at the Top: a review of BAME leadership in the UK, http://
race.bitc.org.uk/system/files/research/rfo_race_at_the_top_-_exec_summary_0.pdf
51
Guardian (2015) The teaching glass ceiling: women fight to be heard in a sector that’s 62% female
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/29/teaching-glass-ceiling-women-campaign-nickymorgan?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
52
National Statistics (2014) School workforce in England: November 2014,
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014
53
O’Connor and O’Hagan (2015), Interrogating ‘excellence’: Implicit bias in academic promotion
decisions perpetuates gender inequality, http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2015/03/06/
interrogating-excellence-gender-inequality/.
54
Business Innovation and Skills Committee (2014) Women in the Workplace, http://www.publications.
parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmbis/342/342.pdf, p. 17.)
55
Business in the Community (2016) Recruitment, http://race.bitc.org.uk/issues/recruitment
56
BBC (2002) Racism at Work, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/
racism_at_work.stm
57
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2015) Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination
and Disadvantage, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Pregnancy-MaternityDiscrimination-final-PDF-report-24-July-2015.pdf
58
IFF Research Ltd. (2016) Pregnancy and Maternity- Related Discrimination and Disadvantage https://
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509500‌/BIS-16-145-pregnancy-andmaternity-related-discrimination-and-disadvantage-summary.pdf
59
Altman, R. (2015) A New Vision for Older Workers: Retain, Retrain, Recruit, http://www.
genesysdownload.co.uk/rosaltmann/Altmann_090315_Final.pdf
60
Ibid.
52
61
Department of Health (2016) Equality Analysis on the new contract for doctors and dentists in training
in the NHS, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file‌/512696/jd-eia.
pdf
62
The Architectural Review (2015)Results of the 2016 Women in Architecture Survey revealed,
http://www.architectural-review.com/rethink/results-of-the-2016-women-in-architecture-surveyrevealed/10003314.fullarticle
63
Lawrence Davies (October 2014) Equal Justice, www.equaljustice.co.uk
64
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2015), http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/
files‌/uploads/Equality%20Bulletin%20ET%20statistics‌%20article%20Final%2030%20September%2015.pdf
65
Grahame Robb Associates Ltd, Women judged more harshly when speaking up assertively,
http://www.gra.uk.com/blog/women-judged-more-harshly-when-speaking-assertively
66
Fawcett Society (2016) Parents, work and care:
67
Fawcett Society (2008), http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=834
68
Business in the Community (2012) Benchmarking Trends Analysis 2012, http://gender.bitc.org.uk/
node/106555
69
Office for National Statistics (2015) Contracts with No Guaranteed Hours: 2014
http://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/
contractswithnoguaranteedhours/2015-02-25
70
Fawcett Society (2014) Low Paid Women Firmly Shut out of Recovery,http://www.fawcettsociety.org.
uk/2014/08/new-research-low-paid-women-firmly-shut-recovery/
71
TUC (2016) Zero-hours contracts are bad for working families, says TUC https://www.tuc.org.uk/
economic-issues/equality-issues/zero-hours-contracts-are-bad-working-families-says-tuc
72
Guardian (2016), A zero-hours contract is not ‘flexibility’ but exploitation – and it’s rising,
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/mar/09/zero-hour-contract-is-not-flexiblity-but-exploitationand-its-rising
73
Unite the Union (no date) Say No to Zero Hour Contracts, http://www.unitetheunion.org/
campaigning/saynotozerohourscontracts/
74
Office for National Statistics (2013) Women in the Labour Market, http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/
dcp171776_328352.pdf
75
OECD (no date) Closing the Gender Gap, http://www.oecd.org/gender/Closing%20the%20
Gender%20Gap%20-%20UK%20FINAL.pdf
76
Full Fact (2013) Childcare in the UK: the tightest and most expensive? https://fullfact.org/education/
childcare-uk-tightest-and-most-expensive/
77
Equality and Human Rights Commission (no date) Scottish legal articles, http://www.
equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/legal-work-scotland/
articles/women-men-and-part-time-work
78
UK Women: Rights and Progression (2015) UK Women: Rights & Progress Beijing+20, http://www.nawo.
org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/UK-Women-Rights-Progress-CSW-Alliance-Beijing-20-Report.pdf
79
NatCen Social Research (2013) How should parents divide their work and caring responsibilities when
children are young? http://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/latest-report/british-social-attitudes-30/gender-roles/
division-of-work-and-caring-responsibilities.aspx
80
The Tavistock Institute (2015) Parenthood and Poverty: What Works?
http://www.tavinstitute.org/news/parenthood-and-poverty-what-works/
81
Young Women’s Trust (no date) Totally Wasted? http://www.youngwomenstrust.org/
assets/0000/1844/YWT_InterimReport_LR.pdf
82
Carers UK (2015) Facts about carers 2015, https://www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/policy/
53
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
Striking the balance, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Parents-Work-andCare-2016.pdf
policy-library/facts-about-carers-2015
83
Guardian (2016) Gender pay gap has barely improved in four years, say MPs, https://www.
theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/gender-pay-gap-has-barely-shrunk-in-four-years-say-mps
84 Women’s Budget Group (2015) PLAN F: A FEMINIST ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR A CARING AND SUSTAINABLE
ECONOMY, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PLAN-F-2015.pdf
85
Fawcett Society (2013) Cutting Women Out, http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2013/03/cuttingwomen-out/
86
Women and Retirement Report (2014) Women Retirement Report 2014, http://reference.
scottishwidows.co.uk/literature/doc/2014_women_and_retirement_repo.pdf
87
Ibid.
88
The Independent (2015) Government faces legal action over women who’ve lost out on pensions
http://www.independent.co.uk/money/government-faces-legal-action-over-women-whove-lost-out-onpensions-a6724191.html
89
BBC (2016) ‘Give women early access to state pension,’ MPs recommend, http://www.bbc.co.uk/
news/uk-35809031
90
Women’s Budget Group (2016) *Latest* Policies of the Conservative Government to be more
regressive than those of the Coalition, http://wbg.org.uk/latest-policies-of-the-conservative-government-tobe-more-regressive-than-those-of-the-coalition/
November 2016
91
Women’s Budget Group (2015) PLAN F: A FEMINIST ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR A CARING AND
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PLAN-F-2015.pdf
54
Fair Deal for Women Report 2016 – Report 1 - Economy and Work and Family Life
55