So, to paint the picture, what are some the current gender equality statistics in the UK? Despite progress, gender inequality remains an issue in the UK. Here are some key statistics which demonstrate the varying rates of progress: • Gender Pay Gap: The gender pay gap for full-time employees in the UK was 7.0% in April 2024, down from 7.5% in 2023. The gap is larger for employees over 40 and in higher-paid positions, according to the ONS. • Political representation: As of 2024, women make up 34% of Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, albeit this is a significant increase from just 3% in 1979, according to Statista. • Representation in leadership - Board Representation: As of 2023, women hold nearly 40% of board positions in FTSE 100 companies, a significant increase from 12.5% a decade ago. This progress places the UK second in international rankings for women's representation on boards, according to the UK Government. • C-Suite Representation: In 2023, 25% of C-Suite leaders were white women, while only one in 20 were women of colour, according to the Academy of Women's Leadership. • Economic participation: The UK ranks 15th on the global gender gap index, indicating that there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum. International Women's Day 2025: Accelerating Action for Gender Equality International Women's Day (IWD), celebrated on March 8th, is a global event that highlights and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, whilst also being a call for action to address the challenges that remain. The theme for this year is "Accelerate Action", emphasising the need for swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. Indeed, according to the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 (which is roughly five generations from now), to reach full gender parity. The focus is therefore on ways we can generate greater urgency to 19 SPRING PROTECT NEWSLETTER8 Continued on next page...
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI4MjU4NQ==