UK Firms Pledge Gender Equality

A Government campaign promoting gender equality in the workplace has signed up more than 140 major employers, including BAE Systems and Royal Bank of Scotland. Women and Equalities Minister Maria Miller welcomed the organisations on to the voluntary Think, Act, Report (TAR) scheme, saying it is “simply about good business sense”. Companies are encouraged to report on their efforts to encourage gender equality among their staff as part of the initiative that aims to generate a cultural shift.

It was revealed in a new two-year progress report that the number of companies signed up has more than doubled from 54 in November 2012 to 140 in November 2013, covering around 20% of the entire UK workforce in medium-sized or large companies. Two out of three companies (66%) are doing more to encourage female talent within their organisation since joining the scheme, the report found, such as introducing mentoring and sponsorship schemes or targeted development programmes.

Almost half of the firms in the scheme have completed an equal pay audit in the last year as part of their efforts to combat the gender pay gap. “It’s great to see some of this country’s leading employers signing up and doing more to improve opportunities for women in the workplace and being transparent about equal pay,” Maria Miller added.

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