Gender pay gap ‘should be government priority’

Reducing the gender pay gap should be a priority for the government, according to a spokesperson from the Government Equalities Office (GEO).

She said tackling the issue would allow more women to become the breadwinners in families and perhaps lead to fathers paying a greater role in childcare.

Her comments come after the GEO reported that the mean average gap of full-time pay between the genders was 17.2 per cent.

The spokesperson said the government has already done a lot to help working parents balance “often conflicting demands” of work and family life.

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Indeed, the right to request flexible working and increases in maternity leave and pay have helped families to enjoy a better work-life balance.

However, it must go further and tackle inequalities in pay, she added.

According to a Cambridge University research study, 46 per cent of women and 42 per cent of men believe family life would not suffer if women went to work.