Gender Wage Gap Decreases in Britain, Next Generation Holds Promise of Equality

Statistics often come with good news or bad. In this case, Britain’s Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan, is excited to report that the pay gap between men and women has been reduced. A whopping 0.7 percent, making the gap stand at 19.1 percent.

It may not sound like much, but it’s a first for being the lowest in the country’s history. However, Morgan doesn’t intend on remaining complacent with this breakthrough for her country. She wants to see the gap lessen and she believes we can expedite the process by targeting the mindset of women.

“We need to do more to speed up this process, and that is where cultural change begins. It starts from the beginning of someone’s career – or even before that.”

“We need to encourage girls, while they are at school, to know that no career path is closed to them, and to take pride in having ambitions.”

While this sounds like obvious and encouraging advice, there are a few interesting job statistics that Morgan lends, which all women should take into consideration the next time they’re job-hunting:

“It is well known that men will apply for a job they are half qualified for, but women do not apply unless they meet every requirement. We want to see girls have equal levels of confidence and take the necessary leaps and risks.”

Of course, it’s not just the mindsets of women, but of corporations that need to change. Morgan is happy to report progress on that front for her country, as well. While there are more men in higher-earning positions at the peak of their careers, the pay discrepancy for full-time employees under 40 is almost non-existent. There’s a mindset change that’s already part of a generation, which means we may see progress once it’s out with the old and in with the new.

Morgan is not ready to put all her faith on the next generation, though, which is why there are programs in place to help women discuss and investigate potential wage discrepancies.