Pay gap growing

The pay gap between mothers and fathers has grown by 93 pence per hour since 2020, the Pregnant then Screwed charity has stated. The group's analysis of hourly wages found that mothers are earning 43% a week less than fathers, a motherhood pay penalty equivalent to £4.44 an hour.

The data, based on analysis of median earnings between January and March 2023, showed that mothers with dependent children earned 24% less than fathers due to their reduced hours or part-time work. Pregnant then Screwed said for many mothers this is "not a choice but a necessity due to unaffordable childcare", while chief executive Joeli Brearley claimed the motherhood penalty now accounts for "almost all of the gender pay gap".

"It is a serious issue which ensures women have less power and autonomy than men," she added.