The government is ‘complicit in a system that is undermining productivity and perpetuating the gender pay gap’, finds a report by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. It adds: ‘Evidence shows the gender pay gap will persist unless government policy changes.’ The report, by a cross-party committee of MPs, highlights the lack of effective policy in many of the areas that contribute to the gender pay gap. It finds that the key causes of pay differentials are:
Chair of the Committee, Maria Miller, MP said:
‘The gender pay gap is holding back women and that isn’t going to change unless the government changes its policies now. The pay gap represents a massive loss to the UK’s economy and we must address it in the face of an ageing workforce, a skills crisis and the need for a more competitive economy. If the government is serious about long-term, sustainable growth it must invest in tackling the root causes of the gender pay gap. Adopting our recommendations would be a significant step towards achieving the goal of eliminating the gender pay gap within a generation.’