Gender pay gap a " stubborn reminder of a wider inequality against women".

09 March 2010

Marlyn Glen has described the gender pay gap as "a stubborn reminder of a wider inequality against women".

Her comments follow the release of figures for 2009 from the Office of National Statistics on men and women’s pay.

In Dundee, for men in full-time employment, the median weekly wage, excluding overtime is £454 .

For women in the same category, the weekly wage is £363.

In Dundee, for men in full-time employment, the median hourly rate of pay is £11.30p

For women in the same category, the median hourly rate is £10.31p

The female rate, expressed as a percentage of the male rate is 91 per cent.

Ms. Glen said,

" The gender pay gap is related to the traditional undervaluing of women’s employment as low skilled and low-waged.

"Occupational segregation is another factor which sees a high concentration of women in a narrow range of work in health, education and other areas of the public sector.

" The difficult task of balancing caring duties for children and elderly relatives against the demands of work means that many more women work part-time rather than men.

" The gender pay gap is being tackled through a range of measures that involve a change in the culture and the flexibility of work to benefit women along with improved childcare.

"However, it is a stubborn reminder of a wider inequality against women."