You can be a mum and have a career - here's how
We’ve come a long way since the ladies at the Ford factory in Dagenham went on strike and won the fight for equal pay in 1970. Only 40 years later, we boast the narrowest gender pay gap on record, more women on boards and the most gender diverse Parliament in history. We have a lot to be proud of in our fight towards gender equality.
But the reality is that there are still women across the country who are being held back simply because of their gender. The glass ceiling hasn’t been cracked.
Key to tackling this is closing the gender pay gap. It might be at a record low, but it’s still 18.1 per cent too high.
That’s why, four weeks from today, we’re introducing requirements for all large employers to publish the gender pay gap and bonus pay gap for their own organisations. This will help drive the culture change needed to smash right through that glass ceiling and consign it to history.
It’s important that employers publish their gender pay gap - but they also need to act upon it. That’s why this week's Budget announcement, on International Women’s Day, of £5 million to increase returnships for mothers is so key.
We know that the gender pay gap is caused by lots of factors. But we also know that women are much more likely than men to take time out of work to start a family, look after children and that there’s a lack of well-paid, quality part-time work available if they choose not to go back to work full-time.
I love being a mother and a career woman. But I wouldn’t have been able to carry on working while raising my two boys had I not had help from my family - especially my mum; her support meant I didn’t have to choose. I know that many women feel unable to pick up where they left off in their careers after a break, either because of practical barriers, like childcare or because of workplace cultures that suggest a break means you’ve fallen behind your peers. We simply cannot afford to lose talented women from the workplace in this way.
With this new money, the Government will be able to work with the Women’s Business Council, business groups and public sector organisations on how to best increase the number of returnships. Some employers are already doing fantastic work in this area, running schemes to help women to return to work. From Barclays’ Alumni Network to Vodafone’s new ReConnect programme, there is a lot we can learn from them to ensure that talent continues to flourish.
We have come a long way but we cannot afford to be complacent. We will continue to push at the glass ceiling until we burst right through it and allow every woman to reach her full potential in the workplace.
The Telegraph / Caroline Dinenage*, March 9th 2017
*Caroline Dinenage is in the Parliament under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years