Blog entries

Close the Gap concerned about dilution of equalities law

Emma Ritch — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:55:53 +0100

Close the Gap is concerned about the UK Government’s announcement of measures that may dilute existing equalities legislation. ‘Red Tape Challenge’ was a UK Government web-based consultation on current legislation, carried out with the specific aim of reducing so-called bureaucracy, and which attracted comments from the general public as well as from employers, and equalities organisations. Following this exercise, the Home Secretary and Minister for Women and EqualitiRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (20)

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:41:27 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on equal pay, the underrepresentation of women in IT and flexible working.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

Herald

Science chief in warning on lack of women

The Scotsman

Equal pay case ‘could cost Network Rail millions’

NEWS - UK

The Belfast Telegraph

Number forced to work part-time in Northern Ireland doubles

Fawcett Society

Government could have done more to consider impact of cutRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (19)

Julie McIntosh — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:15:41 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on the pay gap in media professions and a summit on women's employment Scotland.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

Scottish Government

First Minister Announces Women's Job Summit

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

TV production survey points towards gender pay gap

Burning issues for female firefighters

The Telegraph

FOI request reveals BBC pays high ranking men 10 per cent more than women

People ManagementRead More...

Close the Gap International news (2)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Close the Gap will capture news from around the world on the causes of the gender pay gap and equal pay. This includes issues such as occupational segregation, gender equality in the labour market, flexible working and much more.

Alaska

In Germany, women get paid less than men. Why?

Armenia

Gender gap: Study shows Armenian women having significantly less involvement in government than men

Australia

WA women want more work hours

Reduce ourRead More...

Close the Gap International News (USA)

Suzanne Motherwell — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Tuesday 17 April is Equal Pay Day in the USA. This newsround captures news articles over the past month from the USA.

USA

The Most Unfair Cities To Be A Working Woman: Gender Pay Gap By The Numbers

Utah’s wage gap for women third largest in U.S.

Women to rally for equal pay Tuesday at Daley Center

Opinion: Equal pay for women remains a concern after signing of Lilly Ledbetter Act

Women and the Leadership Gap

MRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (18)

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on women in science, engineering and technology occupations.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

The Scotsman

Parties under fire for lack of female candidates

The Herald

Warning female graduates failing to make use of skills

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

How can Britain encourage women into work?

For women in work this is a perfect storm of inequality

Why female-dominated dramas are all the rage

CRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (17)

Julie McIntosh — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:04:59 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on the pay gap, women working in STEM and women's representation in company boardrooms.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

The Herald

How voters can redress the gender balance

NEWS - UK

Office of National Statistics (ONS)

ONS have made changes to the methodology used to calculate the gender pay gap. It shows that the 2011 pay gap for the UK has not narrowed as much as first thought. Close the Gap will be investigating further.

Close the Gap newsround (16)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:34:48 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on women in the boardroom and the impact of the UK Budget on women.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

Scottish Review

Scotland's gender scandal: Part I Tokenism at the top

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

Women and the budget: the chancellor has a chance to put things right

Quotas aren't the best way to get more women into boardrooms

Public sector cuts will hit women hard, thinktank warns

Women will need more thRead More...

Close the Gap connects with school pupils across Scotland on International Women's Day

Anna Ritchie — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:14:58 +0100

Close the Gap held a joint International Women’s Day event with EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union on Thursday 8 March 2012. The theme of the event was Be What You Want, based on the Close the Gap campaign which aims address gender stereotyping and help young people make informed decisions when making subject or career choices.

The event was facilitated through Glow which is the world’s first national online community for schools. &nbsRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (15)

Julie McIntosh — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:17:58 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on childcare, occupational segregation and research from Joseph Rowantree Foundation on quality part-time work.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

Scotsman

FMQ’s: Salmond under fire over number of women out of work

Scotland ‘lags behind’ rest of UK on affordable childcare

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

Banks 'macho culture' holds women back

Women absent from boards of one in 10 top UK companies despite camRead More...

International Women's Day 2012

Suzanne Motherwell — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:03:33 +0100

Close the Gap are participating in a number of events celebrating International Women's Day.

Women in Scotland 2012 - The Big Picture

Close the Gap will be speaking at Engender's Women in Scotland 2012 Conference being held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, 10am-4.30pm

The event will be chaired by broadcaster Lesley Riddoch. Speakers include Professor Ailsa McKay and Catherine Stihler MEP. Emma Ritch, Project Manager at Close the Gap will be discussinRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (14)

Julie McIntosh — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:51:34 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on occupational segregation, equal pay, women and work and gender stereotyping.

NEWS - IWD

International Women's Day highlights hurdles obstructing equality

International Women's Day: 10 facts

On International Women's Day, what should we be fighting for?

This year let's celebrate … Indian women being more visible than ever

This year let's celebrate … a new energy and spirit among UK feminist activRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (13)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:30:20 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on childcare, occupational segregation, and women's representation in the media.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

The Scotsman

Scottish childcare among the UK’s costliest

NEWS - UK

BBC News

Judging panel unveiled for £1m engineering prize

Childcare cost rises 'may make parents quit their jobs'

The Guardian

Women on the case: the new winning Read More...

Close the Gap - monthly international news (1)

Julie McIntosh — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Every month Close the Gap will capture news from around the world on the causes of the gender pay gap and equal pay. This includes issues such as occupaitonal segregation, gender equality in the labour market, flexibly working and much more. This edition covers January and February 2012

NEWS

European Parliament news

Still much to do to redress gender inequality in the EU, says committee

Uganda: Daily Monitor

Policy alternatives needed to bridge gender gap Read More...

February 24: Work Your Proper Hours Day

Suzanne Motherwell — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:15:58 +0100

Feb 24 is Work Your Proper Hours Day. This date is when the average worker in the UK who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year and starts working for themselves.

It is estimated that over 5 million people did unpaid overtime in 2011. And with an average of 7.2 hours of unpaid overtime, the TUC estimate this is worth £29.2 billion to the UK economy. In Scotland, the number of people who do unpaid overtime has increased by 5% from 2010 to 417,000 pRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (12)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:36:57 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on occupational segregation and gender stereotyping.

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

The female unemployment crisis

Female playwrights still face sexism – it's time we admitted it

Labour looks to Denmark for childcare policy

Labour's childcare plans will help families work

HR Magazine

Female-to-male management ratio across Europe is 29:71

Europe University World News

Why universities neRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (11)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:43:48 +0100

This week's newsround includes articles on occupational segregation, gender stereotyping and equal pay.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

The Courier - Tayside and Fife

Low-paid workers win right to have backdated wages claim heard at tribunal

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

Equality: coalition is missing the point about women

Women chefs on how they chopped to the top

Women at work: edging towards equality

Can David Cameron be made to understand what womRead More...

The Childcare Problem

Anna Ritchie — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:14:51 +0100

An increasing number of women are being forced to give up their jobs or reduce their hours because of the high cost of childcare, with long term effects on women’s career prospects. The average cost of full-time childcare is currently £385 a month but this rises to £729 for children under the age of two. Child tax credits are being cut while the cost of childcare increases, and those trying to buy childcare find provision patchy in both availability and qualiRead More...

Close the Gap newsround (10)

Julie McIntosh — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

This weeks newsround includes articles from The Scotsman, the Guardian and others. Topics include occupational segregation, gender stereotyping and equal pay.

NEWS - SCOTLAND

The Scotsman

Game plan to close gender gap in Scottish schools

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

Young women hardest hit in Mexico as unemployment continues to increase

BBC 'got it wrong on women'

Britain's boardrooms need more women, Cameron says

We need gender studieRead More...

GUEST POST: Women in Scotland’s Economy Research Centre: A WiSER approach

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:41:57 +0100

I am very pleased to introduce the Women in Scotland’s Economy (WiSE) Research Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University. This newly created centre aims to promote and make visible women’s contribution to Scotland’s economy through high quality research and other knowledge transfer activities. Closing the gap between men and women will improve Scotland’s economic position. However, traditional economic approaches often fail to fully recognise women’s economic contrRead More...