What is the Gender Pay Gap?
Gender pay gaps (GPG) are measured in different ways globally. However, on all counts, most men earn more than a woman doing the same or similar work.
Women dominate the workforce in education, yet a pay gap exists in those countries that measure this.
“Imagine you're a little girl. You're growing up. You practice as hard as you can, with girls, with boys. You have a dream. You fight, you work, you sacrifice to get to this stage. You work as hard as anyone you know. And then you get to this stage, and you're told you're not the same as a boy. Almost as good, but not quite the same. Think how devastating and demoralizing that could be."
(Venus Williams quoted in Huffington Post)
Through our campaign to reduce the gender pay gap for women in education leadership, we are:
- Offering workshops / webinars on negotiation skills
- Calling on employers to remove the question on current salary from application forms and also references
- Writing reports on GPG reporting in the UK
What is the Gender Pay Gap?
Gender pay gaps (GPG) are measured in different ways globally. However, on all counts, most men earn more than a woman doing the same or similar work.
Women dominate the workforce in education, yet a pay gap exists in those countries that measure this.
“Imagine you're a little girl. You're growing up. You practice as hard as you can, with girls, with boys. You have a dream. You fight, you work, you sacrifice to get to this stage. You work as hard as anyone you know. And then you get to this stage, and you're told you're not the same as a boy. Almost as good, but not quite the same. Think how devastating and demoralizing that could be." (Venus Williams quoted in Huffington Post)
Through our campaign to reduce the gender pay gap for women in education leadership, we are:
Offering workshops / webinars on negotiation skills
Calling on employers to remove the question on current salary from application forms and also references
Writing reports on GPG reporting in the UK
Our Achievements
Blogged about this
Contributed to a UK Gender Pay Gap Analysis Report
Contributed to an article in Forbes
Written a chapter in 10%Braver: Inspiring Women to Lead Education
Run several workshops
Held a panel discussion at our global unconference
Added issue to Senior Leaders Masters / Apprenticeship curriculum with The National College of Education (England)
Get Involved!
Ask how your employer will reduce the pay gap (if it exists)
Involve women in creating a plan to reduce the pay gap using the resources below
Remove the question on current salary from your organisational application form and references
Practise your negotiating skills
Watch our Gender Pay Gap videos
Read our Gender Pay Gap Blogs
Case 1
'I became aware of WomenEd recently through The National College of Education when I listened to a podcast with Nick Heard and Vivienne Porritt from WomenEd. I am so grateful for your inspirational podcast in which, for the first time in my life, my eyes were opened to the #GenderPayGap in education. As a result of this, during a recent interview process, through which I secured my first headship, I found the courage to negotiate my salary with my new employees, who, very boldly, agreed to salary-match my pay to the current head.
Without a doubt, unless I'd had the opportunity to engage with WomenEd and hear your powerful message, I would not have thought to challenge the system.’
Nicola Forder, Head Teacher, Bristol Steiner School
Case 2
‘I am delighted to say that SENDAT has removed the Current/Previous salary question from our application form. We see this as a positive step to reducing the #GenderPayGap in our organisation and assuring applicants that we offer equitable processes when recruiting. We will advertise our practice as a strength of our Trust. Thanks for making me look at this and inspiring the change for our 3 schools and our entire organisation at all levels of appointment.’
Sue Prickett, Chief Finance and Operations Officer, SENDAT
@ruralSBM sue.prickett@sendat.academy
Case 3
‘I have followed WomenEd on Twitter for quite some time, as I enjoy reading tweets by women describing how they became 10%braver. I never really thought that I, too, would be reaching out one day to seek advice.
I was recently appointed head-elect in an independent school. The thought of negotiating a contract filled me with dread, and I almost signed the initial agreement to avoid having to enter any negotiations at all. After support from Vivienne Porritt and WomenEd, I negotiated further taxable benefits equating to more than 60% of my initial package. My 'aim high’ goal was met and it forced my employer to be transparent regarding gendered salaries in the organisation. Vivienne reminded me that I was negotiating for all the aspiring women leaders behind me. That was what made me go for it!’
Anonymous
Articles and Papers
The politics of pocket money: how the gender pay gap starts in childhood (The Guardian, Dec 2022)
Fawcett Society UK Equal Pay Explainer for 2022 (October 2022)
(Australian) National gender pay gap analysis paints bleak picture for women (theage.com.au, Timna Jacks, 2022)
The college gender gap narrows, but slowly (feweek.co.uk, Will Nott, 30th April 2022)
Mind the gap: tackling gender pay inequalities (naht.org.uk, 2022)
GLOBAL Gender Pay Gap Report (KCL.ac.uk)
Can we stop justifying gender pay gaps because women dominate care sectors? (womensagenda.com.au, February 2022)
Close Your Gender Pay Gap, A Toolkit for Business (EHRC & CMI, 2021)
Women in the workplace (leanin.org, 2021)
The Pay and Progression of Women of Colour - A Literature Review (Fawcett Society, September 2021)
Ethnicity pay gap – Why the UK needs mandatory reporting (The Conversation, 24th May 2021)
There’s a gay wage gap – and it’s linked to discrimination (The Conversation, 29th April 2021)
The emerging ‘super league’ of academy trust CEO pay (Schools Week, 23rd April 2021)
Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard (Au Gov, 26th November 2020)
Why Do We Need International Equal Pay Day? (FORBES, 24th September 2020)
School Workforce data in England: Reporting Year 2019 (GOV.UK, 25th June 2020)
Global Gender Gap Report (World Economic Forum, 2020)
How to negotiate a higher salary as a teacher (TES, 13th August 2019)
GPGs in academy school chains among the worst in UK (The Guardian, 25th March 2018)
A Review of the Motherhood Wage Penalty in the United States (Sociology Compass, April 2013)
