According to campaigners, there is a significant pay gap in the UK between women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent and white British men. This gap amounts to almost one-third less in hourly earnings for these women, and it is something that should be a source of national concern.
A study of salary information also shows that women of mixed racial backgrounds and those of Black Caribbean descent earn 25% less than white men in the same positions.
The figures for Ethnicity Pay Gap Day 2024 have been released by the Fawcett Society.
Researchers have dug into statistics revealed in a big gender pay gap report published by the campaign group last November. The figures show significant differences between groups of women – and an even bigger disparity with men.
Alesha De-Freitas, the policy leader at Fawcett, stated that the pay disparity based on ethnicity is causing further challenges for black and minority women in the United Kingdom.
“These statistics are incredibly alarming,” she stated. “The significant wage gap between Bangladeshi women and white British men should be a major concern for our country.”
According to the analysis, there is a significant difference of 14.7% in pay between women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani background and white British women. This gap is even larger when compared to white British men, with a figure of 28.4%.
The difference between Black Caribbean women and white British men is 25%.
Dianne Greyson established the organization responsible for initiating Ethnicity Pay Gap Day on January 8th every year. She urged the government to enforce mandatory reporting of ethnicity pay gaps.
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“In order to address and reduce the gender pay gap, companies must first identify its extent and impact on specific groups within their workforce.”
“We require a greater number of employers to disseminate information and prioritize this matter, and I am eagerly anticipating further discussions on this topic at our conference on ethnicity pay disparity in February.”
According to the Fawcett report, bias is a major factor contributing to the pay gap based on ethnicity and gender. The report states that 75% of women of color have faced racism in the workplace, and 42% have been overlooked for promotions despite receiving positive feedback. In comparison, the number for white women is 27%.
De-Freitas stated that mandatory reporting was effective. She believes that the requirement to report on gender pay gap has successfully brought attention to the issue and motivated efforts to reduce the gap.
We are calling on the government to also require companies to report on their ethnicity pay gap. However, we need to take additional steps and ensure that companies with ongoing gaps are obligated to publicly share plans for reducing the gap and are held responsible if they fail to do so.
This is the initial information regarding the topic since the outbreak.
Source: theguardian.com