LONDON: Equality for women at work is decades away in Britain, according to a study released on Monday that found just 6% of chief executives at leading companies are female, with representation in some sectors going backwards.
“Despite much lip service about the importance of having women in top jobs, today’s data shows we are still generations away from achieving anything close to equality,” said chief executive Sam Smethers in a statement.Despite laws guaranteeing equal pay and rights, women remain a minority in senior positions at companies and in public life, while official data showed those in full-time work faced an average gender pay gap of 8.9% last year.
They are also in a minority across a host of other senior roles including senior civil service members, high court judges and university vice-chancellors.They are “simply missing” from senior roles in many areas, the report found. It called for action including quotas for women’s representation at public bodies and boards of large corporate firms, and requirements for companies to publish action plans on recruiting more women and ethnic minorities.