On November 20th, 2024, women stop being paid compared to men. This is the point in the year when, on average, women effectively work for free. The gender pay gap is now 11.3%, up from 10.7% last year. It’s a stark reminder that while progress has been made, gender pay inequality persists - and may be higher than we thought.

Read our new research into the causes of the gender pay gap, in collaboration with Dr Giacomo Vagni, leading pay gap expert from the University of Essex.

Women Still Earning Less: Take Action Now

The gap between men and women’s pay persists, and women and their families are losing out. On average, women earn £631 less than men every month.

That’s on average £7,572 less a year.

The growing gender pay gap means that women continue to work without pay for the rest of the year—starting on the 20^th November 2024. But we can change this.

Find out your Gender Pay Gap

How does your pay compare to the average man’s? Use our gender pay gap calculator developed by Dr Giacomo Vagni   to see how you’re affected by the pay gap.

Gender Pay Gap Calculator

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Read our EPD 2024 briefing 

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Why does the Gender Pay Gap Persist

Women are more likely to take on part-time, low-paid, or insecure work to balance caregiving responsibilities. This affects their earning potential, often trapping them in lower-paying roles.

A lack of affordable and accessible childcare forces many women to leave their careers or settle for jobs that don’t offer the flexibility or pay they deserve. Mothers face a ‘Motherhood Penalty’ that fathers don’t experience.

Even when men and women work the same hours and in the same roles, nearly two-thirds of the gender pay gap remains unexplained. This points to pay discrimination as a major factor still holding women back.

Black, minoritised, and disabled women face even greater pay disparities. Women of Bangladeshi (28.4%), Pakistani (25.9%), and Mixed White and Black Caribbean (25%) backgrounds experience significantly higher pay gaps, compounding the overall inequality.

Our Solution

To close the gender pay gap for good, we must:

• Make flexible work the default, not the exception, across all sectors.
• Transform our childcare system so it’s affordable and accessible to all families.
• Eradicate pay discrimination to ensure that men and women are paid equally for equal work.
• Tackle the intersectional pay gaps that particularly affect Black, minoritised, and disabled women.

These are the steps we need to close the gender pay gap - and we can’t wait any longer.

Get Involved: Take Action Today

It’s time to take action. You can help drive change by supporting our work, using our tools to raise awareness, and demanding action from policymakers. Join the Fawcett Society in our mission to achieve gender equality in pay and in the workplace.

• Join us  - we need your voice to demand change

• Take our Gender Pay Gap Calculator and find out how the gender pay gap effects you

Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said:

"Equal Pay Day 2024 marks another painful reminder that gender pay inequality is not only persistent, but risks deepening. The gender pay gap now stands at 11.3%, meaning that, on average, women effectively stop being paid compared to men on November 20th, and will work for free for the rest of the year. Improvements in the in ONS’ data methodology shows that the situation could be worse than previously understood.”

“We welcome the Chancellor's commitment to closing the gender pay gap, these statistics make it clearer than ever that reaching that goal will require significant shifts in the approach to achieving equality. To truly achieve equality, we need a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy that tackles the root causes of the gap, including the undervaluing of women’s work, a lack of affordable childcare, and the systemic barriers that prevent women, particularly mothers, from reaching their full potential in the workforce.

“If we are to see meaningful change, flexible work must be the default across all sectors, and discrimination in pay must be eradicated. The gender pay gap is not just an issue for women—it’s an issue for our entire economy. Until we address the inequalities that women face every day, we risk seeing this gap grow."

Harriet Harman, Chair of the Fawcett Society, said:

“While the gender pay gap remains a serious challenge as shown by our research, it's very encouraging to see the government taking action towards closing it. Our first female Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ commitment to tackling this inequality head-on is impressive. 

The government’s recognition of the importance of flexible work, the need for affordable childcare, and addressing pay discrimination are all crucial components in achieving real, long-term change.

It’s clear that closing the gender pay gap will require more than just individual efforts, it requires systemic change, and the government must focus on developing a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy. By making flexible work the default and ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities as men, we can ensure fairness and that families are better off.

However, there’s still much more to be done. We need to ensure that these policies are implemented effectively and that they address the needs of the most disadvantaged women, including those facing multiple barriers. The government’s efforts are a step in the right direction, and we must continue to push for the urgent action needed to close the gender pay gap once and for all.” 

Dr Giacomo Vagni, Assistant Professor at the University of Essex, said:

“A gender pay gap of 8%, after accounting for personal characteristics (education, experience, occupation), is not trivial. It means being short-changed every hour of work, and these losses compound over time. For a £25,000 yearly salary, it is over £2,000 lost in the pay gap — a figure that makes a difference for many households. Over a decade or a lifetime, it is a fund that can change someone's life.”

 

Leigh Day and Fawcett Society Working Together on an Equal Pay Service to Tackle Gender Pay Inequality

 

Leading law firm Leigh Day and the Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading charity campaigning for gender equality, work together to offer a groundbreaking Equal Pay Advisory Service. This ongoing partnership aims to empower women to address and resolve issues of unequal pay in the workplace. Combining Leigh Day’s legal expertise with the Fawcett Society’s decades of advocacy, the service provides tailored advice and resources to help women challenge pay disparities and secure fair treatment. 

Paula Lee, a partner at Leigh Day, said:

"We are truly delighted to be able to give women free legal advice regarding any equal pay concerns they may have. We have already helped many women get £000s in the backpay and we are ready to help many more.”

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Read Equal Pay Day 2024: Time to close the gap

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