International Women’s Day – Gender Equality at City University London

City University London UCU wish to congratulate all those staff taking part in events to celebrate International Women’s day and urge staff to try and attend if possible. http://www.city.ac.uk/international-womens-day/events-celebrating-iwd

The origins of International Women’s Day lay with the trade union movement, in particular March 8, 1857, when garment workers in New York City marched and picketed, demanding improved working conditions, a ten hour day, and equal rights for women. Their ranks were broken up by the police. Fifty-one years later, March 8, 1908, their sisters in the needle trades in New York marched again, honouring the 1857 march, demanding the vote, and an end to sweatshops and child labour. The police were present on this occasion too. The trade unions and labour movement in the United Kingdom have been fundamental in fighting for equal pay and rights for women embodied in the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts of the 1960’s and 70’s through to the Equality Act 2010.

Unfortunately we still have a long way to go. Today the UCU unveil the real issues around the gender pay gap in Higher Education and Further Education institutions.

http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/7959/Holding-down-womens-pay-Feb-16/pdf/ucu_IWDpayreport_mar16.pdf

At City University we face real challenges. Sadly, City tops the league table for the highest professorial gender pay gap of all Universities in the United Kingdom with a £15,992 difference between male and female professors (Female salary as % of male = 83.6).

For academic-related staff we also have a way to travel; standing at number 12 in the league table with a gender pay gap of 5.2% (£2,383).

The UCU continues to argue at the University Equality Committee and the Athena Swan Gender Equality Working Group that the university needs to prioritise this issue and make a firm commitment to eradicate gender pay inequality.

UCU will be writing to the Vice-Chancellor requesting that we agree a joint statement of intent to close any gender pay gap at City University London by 2020.

See https://www.ucu.org.uk/iwd for information on UCU’s campaigns for International Women’s Day.