8.5m women will spend whole career not seeing equal pay, warns Labour Party

‘The Conservatives’ indifference risks the clock being turned back on women’s equality,’ says Marsha de Cordova

Research has found women were over-represented in sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality, retail, leisure, tourism and the arts

Another 8.5 million women will spend the entirety of their careers not seeing equal pay unless the government introduces immediate measures to tackle the gender pay gap, the Labour Party has warned.

The study, released to mark Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day women stop earning for the rest of the year compared to men, warns progress on closing the gender pay gap has substantially dropped off under the Conservatives and the gulf will not be closed until 2052 at the present rate of progress.

The Labour Party warned the dearth of headway on pay disparity means women who are currently in their mid-30s will not know equal pay during a lifetime spent in the workplace.

Marsha de Cordova, shadow secretary of state for Women and Equalities, said: “The government has failed to tackle the gender pay gap and has ignored the impact this crisis has had on women. The Conservatives’ indifference risks the clock being turned back on women’s equality.

“We need urgent action to modernise equal pay legislation and restart pay gap reporting. The government must act now to prevent this crisis from further cementing women’s economic inequality.”

Her comments come as a new report found one in three mothers have lost out on work due to not being able to access childcare during the pandemic.

The study, which was released by Fawcett Society on Friday, discovered 43 per cent of working women and 50 per cent of working black and minority ethnic (BME) women are anxious about holding onto their job or getting a promotion amid the coronavirus crisis.

Campaigners at the leading gender equality charity warn Britain is at a "coronavirus crossroads" when it comes to gender equality — noting although the public health crisis has rolled back progress on gender equality, some of the damage could be alleviated if the government implements urgent measures.

Sam Smethers, the charity’s chief executive, said: “This new data demonstrates once again that it is Black, Asian and minority ethnicity women who have suffered disproportionately in the pandemic. We must recognise the racial and gender inequality that exists in the UK and how they intersect. This is why we need gender pay reporting by ethnicity.

“Gains that have been made in the 50 years since the Equal Pay Act are at risk of being eroded. As the government begins to look towards rebuilding the economy, it must invest in our childcare and social care infrastructure, embed flexible working and improve paid leave for dads.

“Government must also make the right to equal pay a reality by giving women the ‘Right to Know’ what a male colleague doing the same work is paid. This would give women the opportunity to resolve equal pay issues without having to go to court, which would be a huge step forward.”

The study discovered the proportion of time fathers spent doing childcare has doubled during the health emergency.

Previous research has found women were over-represented in sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality, retail, leisure, tourism and the arts — as well as being more likely to be furloughed across nearly all different ages.

Studies have found women bore the burden of childcare, homeschooling and household tasks during the national lockdown declared in spring, regardless of whether they were working or not.

Rules obliging private companies who employ more than 250 people to release their gender pay gap figures were suspended by the government earlier in the year due to coronavirus turmoil.