It’s Equal Pay Day: Why this matters even more to Birmingham women

Today is Equal Pay Day.

Equal Pay Day is a national campaign led by the Fawcett Society in the UK. It marks the day in the year when, based on the gender pay gap, women overall in the UK stop being paid compared to men.

Speaking on this issue, Deputy Group Leader Morriam Jan said: “The stark cost of unequal pay practices is probably more obvious at Birmingham City Council than anywhere else, seeing as they face a bill of up to £1 billion because of Equal Pay, and who pays the bill? The residents of Birmingham.”

“Women have long been underpaid in jobs, particularly when working in industries dominated by female labour. The knock-on effect of this is significant. Birmingham women often have caring responsibilities, so their money must stretch to care for children, relatives, and pets. Whether you’re male of female, the bills are still the same, so women being underpaid face greater challenges in balancing the books”.

“In Birmingham, 37% of children live in poverty; the vast majority supported by mum. Paying women equally helps to reduce the number of children in poverty. It helps to put food on their table and clothes on their backs”.

Source: Equal Pay Day 2023 is November 22nd (fawcettsociety.org.uk)