Northern Ireland leads the way in bridging gender pay gap

Northern Ireland now ranks in the top spot for women in work across the UK in terms of the gender pay gap, according to a new survey by PWC.

It looks at factors including gender pay gaps and full-time employment rates.

The latest Women in Work Index report says Northern Ireland has moved up three places overtaking the south west of England which had been the top-performing region for three years consecutively.

Northern Ireland now boasts the smallest gender pay gap (only 5% in NI versus 14.4% UK wide), and a higher female full-time employment rate than most (the third best across the UK at 64%). However, it has the lowest female labour force participation rate (70%) of all UK regions.

Catroina McCusker, Regional Market Leader at PwC Northern Ireland, said:

"Our women in work index shows that Northern Ireland has the smallest gender pay gap in the UK - only 5% across NI, compared to nearly 15% UK wide. This is positive news and a real step in the right direction."

"It's great to see that women in the job market here are fairing the best in terms of UK standings, in both pay and secure full time jobs."

"That being said, we can't rely on economic growth alone to produce gender equality" "Government and business need to work together now to close the gap and help to create a more equitable and prosperous society for all"

"The sad reality is, that fewer women enter the labour market here in the first place. This means that there are likely to be significant hidden pockets of talent across Northern Ireland."

"We need to consider how we can get more women into the workplace here in the first place. This is an issue of equity, but also a key economic issue as the Northern Ireland economy faces labour and skill shortages into the future"

"There is no panacea, nor a one size fits all policy, that will solve the problems for women at work today. There are many reasons why fewer women are in a full time position, including the cost and attitudes towards childcare."

"To combat this, government and business should really consider enhanced parental leave policies. More flexible working options are also required so that all parents can balance work and caring responsibilities. Alongside this, we need to really tackle the cost of childcare."

The Index also shows the participation rate gap between men and women in NI is 5% - only marginally higher than South West which is the best performer on this indicator. This suggests that participation as a whole might be the larger point of concern in Northern Ireland as opposed to participation by women specifically.

Catroina McCusker said this must be addressed as a key point of concern with education given so women can break into traditionally male dominated fields.

"There has never been more evidence to suggest that women in Northern Ireland are not encouraged to produce careers in STEM industries so we really need to look at how we can best tackle this."

"We need to really invest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills here. This could work towards ensuring that every teenager leaving school has not only a desire to stay in Northern Ireland with the right skills, experience and qualifications to drive our economy forward, but they also recognise the opportunities that we have to give them across STEM " "I would encourage all young women to have empathy, real courage and agility, have the courage to back yourself instead of expecting and waiting on others to do that. Make brave decisions and be prepared to step up. Have your voice heard.

"Have empathy for what others are going through, and how not only that impacts them on a day to day basis but you recognise and can feel like you can walk in their shoes."

"Be agile, never stop learning new things and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is how you will learn and continue to grow as a leader"