Short description:

Through interdisciplinary research, this book explores the continued cause of the significant gender pay gap that still exists in many countries today. This gap persists despite a wide range of measures having been introduced to protect women at work.

Long description:

Through interdisciplinary research, this book explores the continued cause of the significant gender pay gap that still exists in many countries today. This gap persists despite a wide range of measures having been introduced to protect women at work. Internationally varied approaches which have been attempted include prohibiting discrimination, maternity leave, maternity pay, health and safety protections for pregnant workers, tax breaks, childcare vouchers, shared parental leave, and gender pay gap reporting. This volume makes a significant and original contribution by tackling the topic through fresh historical and activist approaches, specific consideration of certain professions, and topical issues, such as the gig economy, treatment of carers post-coronavirus, and developing approaches to prosecuting pay equity claims. Our comparative approach interrogates how countries studied in this volume have had varying approaches and differing success in tackling this pervasive issue of the gender pay gap. Lessons to learn regarding policy reform are included in chapters from authors based not only in the UK but also in the United States, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland and fully developed in the conclusion.

Table of Contents:

List of Figures x

List of Contributors xi

Acknowledgements xvi

Foreword xvii

ROBIN ALLEN KC AND DAPHNE ROMNEY KC

Introduction: The Evolution of the Gender Pay Gap: A Comparative Perspective 1

FRANCES HAMILTON

Women in the Workplace, History, Campaigning, and the Future 21

1 The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919: Its Origins, Passage, and Significance for Working Women 23

MARI TAKAYANAGI

2 Equal Pay, the Women?s Employment Federation, and the Royal Commission 39

ANN MUMFORD

3 Combining Work and Care: The Failure of Work?Life Reconciliation Policies 55

MEGAN PEARSON

Persistent Inequalities in the Professions 71

4 Affect Theory, the Perceived Impact of Judicial Diversity, and the Gender Pay Gap in the Irish Legal Profession 73

CAOIMHE KIERNAN

5 Speaking in a Different Voice: The Gendered Nature of Promotion Applications 95

FRANCES HAMILTON AND ELISABETH GRIFFITHS

6 Gender Pay Gap in the Gig Economy 114

ANDY NOBLE

7 Military Veterans? Preference: Influence on the Gender Pay Gap in the United States and Beyond 131

CORNELIA WEISS

The Role of Employers and Corporate Social Responsibility 151

8 The Role of Equal Pay Auditing in Resolving Unequal Pay: More Hindrance Than Help? 153

ALEX PATRICK

9 Corporate Social Responsibility and the Gender Pay Gap in the UK?Beyond the Law 169

RACHEL HORTON AND GRAHAM BOX

International Comparisons 183

10 Prosecuting Pay Equity in Australia: Evolving Strategies in the Context of Declining Institutional Advantages 185

GILLIAN WHITEHOUSE AND MEG SMITH

11 The Persistence of Oppression: The US Gender Pay Gap 202

LAURA FITZPATRICK

The Intractable Nature of the Gender Pay Gap: A Comparative Perspective?Conclusions and Reflections 220

ELISABETH GRIFFITHS

Index 239