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

Gender inequality in Jersey

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

FREE Public Sector Equality Duty Seminar for Trade Unions

The public sector equality duty came into force in April 2011 and replaced the gender equality duty.  The new specific duties have just come into force in Scotland. Unions reps will need to know how to use the new duties for the benefit of their members and to ensure equality in the workplace.  

This FREE seminar will look at:

• the principles of the public sector equality duty
• equality impact assessment and the role of union reps; and
• some practical examples of how union reps can use the duty.

Date & Venue

Friday 22 June 2012, Menzies Hotel, Glasgow G3 8AZ

Programme

9.00am       Registration with tea and coffee

9.30am       Welcome and introduction from Margaret Boyd, Chair, STUC Women's Committee

9.40am       The principles of the public sector equality duty: what your employer should be doing

10.25am     Equality impact assessment and how it can benefit members

11.15am     Tea and coffee

11.30am     How union reps can use the duty: some practical examples

12.30pm     Looking to the future

12.40pm     Questions    

1.00pm       Lunch

2.00pm       Finish

Please register by clicking on the green 'Click and Register' button at the top of the page but if you are having problems contact Anna Ritchie on 0141 337 8146 or email aritchie@stuc.org.uk.

Please circulate this information throughout your networks.

Close the Gap newsround (21)

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

NEWS - SCOTLAND

BBC News

Female unemployment: Why has it been rising rapidly?

Scotland on Sunday

Lady Susan Rice appointed president of Scottish Council for Development and Industry

NEWS - UK

The Guardian

First woman to command Royal Navy frigate takes helm

Child care costs: how the UK compares with the world

The Independent

Women directors are out of the picture at Cannes

The Telegraph

eFinancial Careers survey shows City gender pay gap hits 21%

BBC News

Ruchi Sanghvi: Facebook's pioneer woman

More failing to save for pension, says Scottish Widows

Belfast Telgraph

Rise in male childcare students

ASLEF

Why are train drivers male and white? Union asks.

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