Getting equal: more work to be done

In brief

• Inequality rooted in bias.
• A commitment to transparency.
• Building a more equal society.

While we may be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act this year, it is vital we now look to the future and understand the need for change. The legal profession needs action, not promises.

In May 1970, the Equal Pay Act gained Royal Assent following a women’s strike in a Dagenham factory. This was a landmark moment in the history of women’s rights, enshrining in law that men and women in the same job are to be treated equally, in terms of pay and the conditions of their work.

While there has been tremendous progress, it is important that the legal industry recognises how much more work there is to be done for true equality to be realised. Women have waited long enough for equal pay and, without proper change, it will take decades to close the pay gap.

This starts with transparency. Equal pay—as set out in