Gender Pay Gap for U.K. Barristers Is Only Getting Worse

(Bloomberg) --

The gender pay gap among certain lawyers in England and Wales has only got wider over the last 20 years, despite widespread public campaigns to highlight the inequality across the U.K.

Male barristers -- the British term for lawyers allowed to speak in court -- earned around 34,400 pounds ($46,299) more than their female counterparts last year, compared to a 20,000 pound difference at the start of the century, according to Bar Council data. That equates to a 62% difference which is in stark contrast to the 7.4% national gender pay gap for full-time U.K. employees in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

This is despite the fact that woman have made up half of all new entrants into the profession for two decades, said the Bar Council, which represents attorneys in England and Wales.

“These figures demonstrate that, although we are making progress in representation of women at the Bar, we have a long way to go to achieve equality,” the Bar Council said in their report. “It’s worrying that the gap between men and women is getting wider.” 

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