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This year, Equal Pay Day in the UK falls on 20th November 2024, two days earlier than in 2023. The day, led by the Fawcett Society, highlights the moment when women effectively stop being paid compared to men due to the gender pay gap. Alarmingly, the gap has widened for the first time since 2013, with the mean full-time hourly gender pay gap rising to 11.3%, up from 10.4% last year.
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, described the situation as a stark reminder of the challenges women face in the workplace. “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.”
Women bearing the brunt of care responsibilities
Both the Fawcett Society and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) emphasise that unpaid care responsibilities are a key driver of the gender pay gap. According to Olchawski, “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.” She also called for a “cross-government strategy to shrink the gender pay gap by 2030 – women cannot wait any longer.”
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TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak echoed these sentiments, pointing to structural issues in the UK economy. “Our economy isn’t working for women. At current rates of progress, it will still take 16 years to close the gender pay gap,” he said.
