Stockon-on-Tees has largest average gender pay gap in the North East
Office for National Statistics has been analysed
New research has revealed Stockton-on-Tees has the largest average gender pay gap in the North East.
The study, by ethical fashion company Beira, analysed data from the Office of National Statistics ‘Gender pay gap in the UK: 2023’ report.
The research found Stockton-on-Tees's average gender pay gap is 16.9%, the highest in the North East, and more than the national average of 14.3%.
Dr Antoinette Fionda-Douglas, Co-Founder of Beira, which turns unused luxury fabrics into womenswear to reduce textile waste, said:
“It’s still shocking to see gender inequality in 2023.
"Female businesses and female roles are not valued enough by the broader society, which not only impedes the progress of individual women but also hinders collective advancement.
"It's disheartening to see the persistent undervaluation of the contributions that women make in various sectors, and this is something we’re trying to change here at Beira.”
Antoinette has this advice for addressing the gender pay gap.
“Negotiate Salary Confidently: Women often hesitate to negotiate their salaries, contributing to the gender pay gap. Confidently negotiating helps bridge the gap by ensuring women are paid based on their skills and experience.”
“Promote Workplace Transparency: When employees have access to information about salary ranges and pay structures, it reduces the likelihood of gender-based pay disparities and fosters a culture of fairness.”
“Mentorship and Networking: Mentorship provides valuable guidance for career advancement, while networking opens doors to opportunities and helps break down gender-related barriers, ultimately contributing to closing the gender pay gap.”
Liz Casey works at a law firm in the Tees Valley and said: "Factors that come into play are the number of part time roles, so when you start to add that and compare that with full time averages, it starts to bring about a different picture.
"When you get to the bracket of people that are 40 and over and the senior roles and management roles there, that's the area that you see the most significant difference in and it's getting people into those roles.
"When you look at it, things that make a difference are the likes of education, businesses mentoring within education, so you've got people coming through and there's a greater pool, so it's those choices of what careers perhaps want to go into, something that they form when they're at school."
Jane Armitage, chair of the Power of Women campaign in the Tees Valley, said: "One of the reasons that the Power of Women campaign was founded was to raise aspirations of young girls in the Tees Valley, and it was noted that young girls often had low aspirations and obviously that would affect pay.
"We're seeing quite a few companies considering family-friendly policies at work. Traditionally, the Tees Valley has had a lot of heavy industry and that's not necessarily been that female-friendly in terms of shifts and working practices, but I know a lot of companies in the area are looking to address that.
"It's having that belief that if you really try then you might be this thing you've dreamed of being when you were a young child. For other people, not knowing what you want to be but having opportunities for work experience, finding out what jobs there are in this area, trying them and not saying 'it can't be me.'"
Caroline Theobald, founding director of PoW, said: "The reason why we started at primary level is that if you can't see it, you can't be it. There are some wonderful role models out there already so that young girls can see that they can be who they want to be and that's really important."