Science too must tackle the gender pay gap

LAST month, the UK marked the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, which granted limited suffrage to women. Universal suffrage was introduced a decade later.

Those who campaigned for equal votes would be dismayed to find that women still face obscene discrimination. This is most apparent in the workplace where, despite equal pay laws, many women still earn less than men for doing the same job.

Recent high-profile cases at the BBC and the supermarket chain Tesco have brought the issue into the public eye. If you thought that science and engineering would be better, think again. Our salary survey in association with recruitment firm SRG reveals a significant pay gap (see “How the gender pay gap permeates science and engineering“).

It goes without saying that this is wrong, and damaging to science. The field is badly paid as it is, and has well-known difficulties recruiting women. The gender pay gap exacerbates both problems.

Iceland recently declared that it would become the first country to strictly enforce its equal pay laws. It is high time the UK and other supposedly modern countries followed suit.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Science’s salary shame”

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