Why does the pay gap endure?

How to take a stand against the gender pay gap

There are multiple reasons why women still earn less than men, despite the Equal Pay Act having been introduced 46 years ago.Important factors include discrimination (for being pregnant, for example), the undervaluing of roles predominantly held by women, the dominance of men in the best-paid positions and unequal caring responsibilities, according to a report by women's rights charity, the Fawcett Society Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said work done by women is consistently undervalued in our society."As we mark [Equal Pay Day] this year we are focusing on the fundamental question of who and what we value and asking why it is that we don’t value women and the work they do – paid or unpaid" she said."Equal value goes to the heart of the fight for pay equality, because the reality is that if it is a sector dominated by women the pay will be lower.”Startlingly, women make up 80% of care and leisure workers and only 10% of those working in the better-paid, skilled trades; they also account for over 60% of those earning less than the living wage, the Fawcett Society said.But that's not all; the pay gap also persists among women with degrees. In the UK, the gender pay gap for graduates 10 years after leaving university (taking both full- and part-time work into account) is 23%.The first and easiest step is to. Women are being urged to take a photo of themselves doing a job they're proud of – paid or unpaid – to highlight women's contribution to our economy and society, using the hashtag #EqualValue. Or, alternatively, a photo with female colleagues or other important women in their lives.