Blog
Close the Gap international newsround (4)
This post captures news relating to the causes of the gender pay gap and equal pay in different countries. This includes issues such as occupational segregation and gender inequality in the labour market.
Africa
Australia
Australian women standing up to sexism
Saudi Arabia
Employers urged to create sound work environment for women
India
Indian working women need a better deal than what India Inc now gives them
Gender balance: Less than 1% of police officials are women
Ireland
Pay gap widest in private sector as women still earn €200 less than men
USA
Gender Imbalances Persist in Academics
Engineers top list in report linking pay to degree
Close the Gap newsround (24)
This edition captures articles related to the gender pay gap and its causes.
NEWS - General
The Guardian
Employment trends: women in local government
Women directors boost company performance
Why has the number of senior female managers fallen at the NAO?
What is the private sector's attitude to women voluntary sector leaders?
The Herald
Gender gap in UK apprentice schemes
The Telegraph
Caroline Thomson: BBC still has work to do on sexism and ageism
Companies forced to reveal number of women staff
Mothers who return to work treated like 'subspecies'
Trade Union Council
Women could miss out on auto-enrolement into workplace pensions
Accountancy Age
Pay up, so women don't ship out
Shropshire News
Female apprentices 'face pay gap'
Huffington Post
Male, Pale and Stale: The Gender Gap in the UK's Leading Roles
NEWS - Media
Why does this shocking dearth of women in the media persist?
Fewer than one in five R4 Today guests or reporters are women
Women in Journalism research finds sexist stereotypes dominate front pages of newspapers
NEWS - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Women in Technology
Flexible working attracts women into IT roles at Intel
Guardian
Challenging the gender imbalance in renewable industry
Meet GoldieBlox: the toy designed to get girls interested in engineering
Why are so few women working in technology?
The Telegraph
Women in UK engineering jobs 'worryingly low'
How Intel attracts more women into engineering roles
BBC News
Women of Wikipedia edit planned to celebrate the legacy of Ada Lovelace Day
State schools in England & Wales 'failing girls who want to study physics'
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Women Still Have to Prove Themselves in Academic Hiring
EVENTS
STUC Women's Conference
12 - 13 November, 2012; Concert Hall, Perth
Scottish Trade Union women gather to discuss a wide range which impact on the lives of women. For further information contact Helen Carson, Admin Assistant, STUC, at hcarson@stuc.org.uk or telephone 0141 337 8100.
CONSULTATIONS
Scottish Government
Procurement Reform Bill
Ends on the 2 November 2012
Procurement Reform Bill aim is to establish a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement that supports Scotland's economic growth by delivering social and environmental benefits, supporting innovation and promoting public procurement processes and systems which are transparent, streamlined, standardised, proportionate, fair and business-friendly.
Close the Gap newsround (23)
This edition captures articles related to the gender pay gap and its causes. There is also information about Close the Gap's next event.
NEWS - SCOTLAND
BBC
Bill to increase free pre-school childcare in Scotland
Herald
Cutbacks send summer childcare costs soaring
Council faces multimillion equal pay bill
A sweet victory in the battle for equal pay
Rutherglen Reformer
Childcare commission to consider longer school days
Women to be hit hardest by ECJ gender ruling.
UK News
The Guardian
Maternity leave is a women's issue? Don't buy that line
Actors' union rallies theatres to create more parts for women
Equality and Human Rights Commission
New guide explains maternity rights and redundancy
Job evaluation fails to stop equal pay claims
People Management
Policewomen unhappy over inflexible work practices
The Engineer
Gender should be no barrier to talent
Western Telegraph
Pembrokeshire County Council's £3.5million pay gap settlement
EVENTS
Women in Renewable Energy Scotland
Close the Gap are supporting Women in Renewable Energy Scotland's (WiRES) reception being held on Tuesday 4 September at the Scottish Parliament.
This event aims to celebrate the contribution women can make to the economic growth of the renewable energy sector in Scotland. It will be held in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 4 September 6.00pm-8.00pm (registration open from 5.30pm).
This event is being sponsored by Rhoda Grant MSP.
If you have not received an invite and would like to attend then please visit www.wiresreception.eventbrite.co.uk to find out more.
CONSULTATIONS - UK Government
Equality Act 2010: consultation on employer liability for harassment of employees by third parties
Equality Act 2010: consultation on repeal of two enforcement provisions
Close the Gap newsround (22)
This week's newsround includes articles on occupational segregation, women and work and gender stereotyping.
NEWS - SCOTLAND
The Courier
Fife Council gives out £23.4m in equal pay claims to underpaid female workers
Herald Scotland
Women in Scotland retire on a third less than men
NEWS - UK
BBC
The Guardian
Male corporate elite bars women's way to top, says study of headhunters
What does the localism agenda mean for women?
Independent
Fewer than one third of most senior jobs are held by women
UK government to launch commission on childcare
Further Education Week
Women lead the way at WLN conference
Women in Technology
Sexual discrimination still prominent in the workplace, survey finds
HR Magazine
Quotas are not the way forward for gender diversity, says home secretary
News - EUROPE & INTERNATIONAL
European Commission
Gender stereotyping and ICT: a fresh perspective
Parliament calls for sanctions to enforce equal pay
Greece
Greek cuts hits women hardest as employees and service users
The Irish Times
Employers who pay women less may face fines and sanctions
USA
Corporate world targets the gender gap in top ranks
EVENTS
Chartered Institute for IT-BSCWomen
BCSWomen Scotland will have their first meeting in Scotland on 27th June in the IBM office in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. The event will start between 6 and 6.30pm, and go on until about 8.30pm. Further details available at bcswomenscotland.wordpress.com
CONSULTATIONS - UK Government
Equality Act 2010: consultation on employer liability for harassment of employees by third parties
Equality Act 2010: consultation on repeal of two enforcement provisions
The real root of women's inequality in retirement
Research has revealed that Scotland has the second-worst gender pensions gap in the UK. A report by Prudential has found that women in Scotland can expect to receive more than one-third less than men when they retire, with an average annual income of £10,029 compared with £17,539 for their male counterparts.
The media has largely focused on the fact that the gender pensions gap has narrowed, although this is because men’s income has fallen as opposed to an increase in the amount women are saving.
Vince Smith-Hughes, Prudential’s retirement income expert, has advised ‘practical steps that women can take to improve their retirement income’ which includes maintaining pensions contributions during career breaks and making voluntary National Insurance contributions after returning to work.
However, such ‘practical steps’ are simply not an option for many women and do not address the real root of women’s inequality in retirement. Women are less likely to be in work and have access to an occupational pension scheme and when they are in work, they experience lower rates of pay and so are less able to contribute a pension. Research by Scottish Widows found that 71 per cent of women (compared with 60 per cent of men) cannot afford to save long-term while 23 per cent of women (compared with 17 per cent of men) are saving nothing for their retirement.
Women earn less over their lifetimes, have less savings, and less of a pension compared with men of equivalent age. As primary carers, many women have taken career breaks that have resulted in vast holes in their pension pots.
At a time when women’s incomes are being squeezed by not only the UK Government’s extensive public sector spending cuts but also the rising costs of childcare, food and energy bills, it is not surprising that many women are unable to save for their retirement.
Research reveals the majority of women can't afford to save for retirement
Government U-turn on women's pension age but millions still to lose out
Government pushes ahead with plans to raise state pension age for women
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