What is the Gender Pay Gap?
The gender pay gap is the difference in average earnings between men and women and is usually measured by hourly rate or weekly wage. Previous to the Equal Pay Act 1970, evidently the main cause of the gender pay gap was direct sex discrimination and historically women were paid 50% less than men, even when performing the same job. After the introduction of the equal pay legislation, which prohibited an employer from paying women less than men purely on the basis of their sex, the continuing gap was attributed to occupational segregation, indirect discrimination and human capital factors (attainment of qualifications and experience).
