Equalities Bill 'will help to redress jobs market imbalance'

Equality minister Harriet Harman's Equalities Bill might have attracted negative publicity, but it is essential if the jobs market balance is to be addressed, it has been claimed.

According to Karen Gill of the female business website everywoman, there are a disproportionate number of women in all areas of business life and if anything the situation is getting worse rather than better.

As a result, she has welcomed Ms Harman's attempt to eradicate discrimination, although critics have argued that should the bill be passed those who are not either women or from ethnic minority backgrounds will be disadvantaged in job interviews.

"There is still real disparity in the amount of money that women are paid for similar type work, and there's massive, massive under-representation of women in senior positions in business," she commented.

"I agree with the aims of this legislation. I know there has been a lot of negative publicity about it... but what I agree with is that something needs to be done to redress the imbalance of women in all areas of business life."

Figures released by the BBC show that, on average, women earn 87 pence to every pound earned by a man.

Many part-time female workers, meanwhile, earn as much to 40 per cent less than their male colleagues.

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