The law, which will apply across Great Britain, would ensure equal pay claims on the basis of ethnicity and disability are handled the same as those made by women, who currently have more stringent protections on pay than other groups. The 2010 Equality Act mandates that women and men are entitled to equal pay for equal work.

On Monday, Jacqueline Mckenzie, a lawyer who contributed to the taskforce set up by Labour to develop the new Race Equality Act, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the party’s plans were “a bold step”.

“What we’re not sure about, because we haven’t seen the act, is whether or not it will actually include enforcement penalties and mandatory reporting,” she said. “Because if it doesn’t do that it’s not actually going to make any difference.”

Under Labour’s plans for the Act, the law would be gradually introduced to give employers time to adjust to remunerating all their staff appropriately. Back pay will only be offered to workers from when the law officially comes into play. 

The proposals will take up the “dual discrimination” that some workers face, allowing them to bring a single claim if they believe they have experienced a combination of discriminations — for example, both sexism and racism, or ableism. 

Labour also announced it plans to appoint a Windrush commissioner if it wins the general election to surveil the compensation scheme, and that business groups and unions will be consulted before the law is enshrined. 

Shadow women and equalities secretary, Anneliese Dodds released a statement, saying “It has never been more important to deliver race equality.”

“Inequality has soared under the Tories and too many black, Asian and ethnic minority families are working harder and harder for less and less,” she wrote.

“This is holding back their families and holding back the economy. We are proud of our achievements in government, from the landmark Equality Act [in 2010] to strengthening protections against discrimination. The next Labour government will go further to ensure no matter where you live in the UK, and whatever your background, you can thrive.”

However, Dr Begum believes the proposals are not flawless.

“[The Act] fall short of addressing the formidable scale of inequalities that shape the experiences and opportunities of people of colour,” she said. 

“Committing to address structural racial inequality needs to understand that racism doesn’t simply arise when the system fails – but that racism is actually sewn into the very fabric of the system itself.”

“Labour must use the race equality act as a platform to commit to an ambitious, cross-governmental approach supported with sustained investment addressing the unacceptable – and in some cases worsening – disparities in health, housing, wealth and policing, faced by so many communities of colour.”

Minister for Equalities Kemi Badenoch is even more sceptical, calling the proposals “a bonanza for dodgy, activist lawyers”.

“[The Act would] set people against each other and see millions wasted on pointless red tape,” she wrote on X. “It is obviously already illegal to pay someone less because of their race.” 

The post UK’s Labour Party has proposed a Race Equality Act. What would it do? appeared first on Women's Agenda.

A 17-year-old boy, known to the victim, was arrested nearly five miles away on suspicion of murder just an hour after the attack. Police have been given an extra 24 hours to question him. 

Andams had just gotten off a double decker bus with a group of friends when she was attacked, with witnesses saying the bus driver and other passers-by tried to save her. 

DCI Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said investigators “have recovered CCTV from the area and have spoken to a number of witnesses”. 

“I know that Elianne’s death has left many people feeling upset and I would like to thank the people of Croydon for the support they have shown us as we have carried out our inquiries in the town centre,” said Woodsford. “I know this work has been disruptive, however it has been vital and your patience is appreciated.”

The Metropolitan police said further inquiries are taking place to establish the exact relationship between the victim and suspect. A postmortem examination was taking place on Thursday.

Visiting the site of Andam’s death, her parents, Michael and Dorcas Andam, stood with family members, friends and a police cordon to grieve their daughter. 

A statement from the family reads: “Elianne was a beautiful person inside and out who loved Jesus. She was intelligent, thoughtful, kind and had a bright future ahead of her. It is our request that you keep our cherished daughter Elianne and our family in your thoughts and prayers.”

A spokesperson for the family said Andams “was bright and funny, with many friends who all adored her”. 

“She was only 15 and had her whole life ahead of her, with hopes and dreams for the future. All those dreams have now been shattered. Our lives have fallen apart, along with that of our wider family. We ask the media to please respect our privacy as we try to grieve the short life of our beautiful child.”

Numerous tributes, including cards, candles and flowers, have been left where she died. One card said: “Rest in peace angel, condolences to your family at this very sad time”. 

The post ‘Much-loved’ 15yo Elianne Andams dies from stabbing on way to UK school appeared first on Women's Agenda.

On Tuesday night, Laurence Fox — a ”darling of rightwing culture warriors” went on the Dan Wootton Tonight show to criticise comments made a day earlier by political journalist Ava Evans, who responded to a call made by a Conservative MP for a dedicated minister for men as “feed[ing] into the culture war a little bit.”

Evans was speaking on an episode of BBC’s Politics Live when her co-guest comedian and commentator Geoff Norcott mentioned the concerning rates of suicide for men under fifty – noting how it remains the biggest cause of death in the UK for men under that age. 

“I think that it feeds into the culture war a little bit, this minister for men argument,” Evans said. 

“[Mental illness] is a crisis that’s endemic throughout the country, not specific to men. And I think a lot of ministers bandy this about to – I’m sorry – make an enemy out of women.”

Evans took to X to explain that the comments had been “a little rash” and that she was “actually very interested in a brief for a minister on young men’s mental health”.

On Tuesday night, a segment on Dan Wootton’s show featured Laurence Fox responding to Evan’s comments by adjudicating her sexual currency, saying: “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman ever, ever, who wasn’t an incel.”

The banner on the screen during their discussion displayed the text: “Hard-left commentator slammed for shrugging off male suicide crisis.” 

Describing Evans as a “little woman,” Fox went on to say, “We need powerful, strong amazing women who make great points for themselves. We don’t need these sort of feminist 4.0. They’re pathetic and embarrassing. Who’d want to shag that?”

Wootton is seen smiling, before adding his own response: “And she’s a very beautiful woman, Laurence, very beautiful woman.”

Evans, who is the political correspondent for online news platform PoliticsJOE, posted the clip of the segment on X captioned: “Laurence Fox just did a whole speech on GB News on why men apparently won’t shag me ?” 

“I feel physically sick.”

On Wednesday, GB News issued a statement, saying it has “suspended Dan Wootton following comments made on his programme by Laurence Fox last night. This follows our decision earlier today to formally suspend Mr Fox. We are conducting a full investigation.”

Speaking to the BBC Newscast podcast, Evans said she had received an apology from the news channel.

“It was an email from the editor – a very gracious email – basically telling me that what Fox said was not representative of the rest of the GB News outfit,” she said. 

“That’s actually probably the best apology I could have gotten. Honestly, not to cast doubt on our media landscape, but I didn’t actually think anything was going to happen.

“I don’t want to say I’m pleased by it. I just think that’s probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.”

Before she received that official apology from GB News, she wrote on X: 

“Really, really grateful to every person who reached out to me. From MPs, to journalists, to friends and people on here. I’m overwhelmed by how kind people have been. I’m also immensely grateful to the incredibly courageous people who spoke out despite working on the station.” 

Evans also said that in the 24 hours prior, she had received “really nasty” threats. 

Speaking to the Evening Standard on Wednesday, Evans said that “as a political journalist…I’ve much rather be judged or asked about my work than have people talking about my body.” 

“I’m shocked that [the comments] went out, she continued. “This is the sort of talk that you worry that men have about you when you’re not in the room. There’s always sort of a worry in the back of your mind which is — are people actually interested in what I’m saying or what I’m doing or are they just looking at me physically? And I think that that clip proves that there are some men who are.” 

Following a huge backlash on social media, Wootton, 40, issued an apology on X, explaining his “regret” over the exchange he had with Fox on his show. 

“Having looked at the footage, I can see how inappropriate my reaction to his totally unacceptable remarks appears to be and want to be clear that I was in no way amused by the comments,” he wrote. 

“I reacted as I did out of shock and surprise in an off guard moment while working out how to respond as he continued to speak by searching for tweets @AvaSantina had sent earlier in the day while having them read out in my ear at the same time.”

“However, I should have intervened immediately to challenge offensive and misogynistic remarks. I apologise unreservedly for what was a very unfortunate lapse in judgement on my part under the intense pressure of a bizarre exchange.”

Wootton concluded his apology by saying he “should have done better” and that he will continue to “seek to tackle the issue and not the person.” 

Lucy Frazer, UK’s Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said Fox’s comments were “inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Television presenter and journalist Carole Malone, described Fox’s comments as “outrageous” — adding that Fox has done himself, “more harm than he could ever do [to Evans].”

“I don’t quite know why that was allowed to go on.” 

Shadow Culture Secretary, Thangam Debbonaire, posed the question on X: “Should we [women] have to tell a broadcaster that on-air woman-hate is not OK?”

“Last night’s woman-hating on air has hit a new low. Might want to ask why a national broadcaster would want to keep this man on air. Women are mighty and we will never let voices like this silence us.”

Shadow attorney-general, Emily Thornberry said the on-air incident of “smirking, sniggering” misogyny “needs to be called out”, adding that “British television should never subject women to this sort of abuse”.

This is not the first time Wootton has been in hot waters for his inappropriate behaviour — earlier this month, he was accused of using a pseudonym to solicit explicit images from former Sun colleagues over several years — allegations which GB News has repeatedly refused to investigate. 

Wootton is currently being investigated by three separate media groups including MailOnline and News UK over a range of issues.

UK’s media regulator, Ofcom said it will continue its investigation into a large number of complaints about Wootton and Fox’s comments. 

The post ‘Who’d want to shag that?’: Male presenters suspended over misogynistic comments appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Over a lifetime of work, Barbie would earn £4 million (approximately $7.7 million AUD) less just for being a woman.

Ahead of the highly anticipated, live action Barbie movie, money.co.uk business bank account experts analysed Barbie’s professions with available data and the number of years worked in each role to calculate the earning disparity should Ken have the same resume.

In the UK, Barbie’s lifetime salary across the 59 roles with data available would total a whopping £45.4 million (£45,428,296), whereas Ken would earn over £4 million more (£49,554,215).

In one of the more shocking stats, data showed 90 per cent of Barbie’s jobs pay men more money for doing the same thing. And only 6 out of 59 (10 per cent) of roles analysed showed females to earn more than their male counterparts. 

Each of the 59 occupations were analysed against 2022 median full time pay data from UK ONS and US Bureau of Labour Statistics and categorised each role against the occupation type available. Where data for a specific occupation wasn’t available, the median full-time pay for the group of occupations it belonged to was substituted. 

To calculate the lifetime salary totals, the total number of years worked in each occupation was calculated from the year the doll was launched and the average 2022 salary for that occupation – no adjustment was made for real world average salary changes over that period.

Earnings for ‘Ken’ assumed he worked the same jobs for the same amount of time regardless of when or whether an equivalent doll was released.

The top pay disparity found was in the occupation of a judge. If Ken was a judge, he’d be paid 31 per cent more than Barbie, with men earning £19,470 on average more than females. 

Following a judge, the top 5 Barbie occupations where males are paid more than females in the UK include flight attendant (232.93 per cent pay gap), park ranger (21.11 per cent pay gap), construction worker (20.01 per cent pay gap) and doctor (19.69 per cent pay gap). 

Four out of five of Barbie’s highest paying roles sit within the STEM industry, with not a single one paying females more than males. These include surgeon (17.27 per cent pay gap), doctor (19.69 per cent pay gap), paramedic (15.32 per cent pay gap), judge (31.30 per cent pay gap) and robotics engineer (12.11 per cent pay gap). 

Out of the lowest paying job positions, park ranger Barbie has the greatest difference, with men earning on average £4.7k (21.1 per cent) more than women in the same role. The following four occupations in this category include hair stylist (9.41 per cent pay gap), waitress (1.98 per cent pay gap), make-up artist (8.99 per cent pay gap) and cashier (8.83 per cent pay gap).

The occupation topping the charts where Barbie and females in the UK are paid more than males is a film director, with a 9.15 per cent pay gap in favour of women.

The other top occupations where females earn more than males are aerobics instructor (6.45 per cent pay gap), yoga teacher (6.45 per cent pay gap), wildlife conservationist (3.44 per cent pay gap) and coffee shop worker (2.58 per cent pay gap).

“Children’s career aspirations have long been defined by gender stereotypes,” said money.co.uk business bank account expert Lucinda O’Brien. “It’s therefore refreshing and positive to see Barbie working a whole variety of jobs (president being one of them!) in the latest live action Barbie movie.”

O’Brien notes that positive change can occur from girls watching Barbie in roles they might not otherwise have seen themselves working but says that “even with Barbie working across a wide variety of job sectors in recent years representing females in largely male dominated positions, women continue to be misrepresented in the working world.”

“Although there are current laws in place ensuring equal pay, the data still reveals men continue to be favoured in the workplace,” she said, adding that “more measurable steps need to be taken to re-address this balance.”

The post New UK data reveals Barbie’s gender pay gap compared to Ken appeared first on Women's Agenda.

At just twenty-three, Inaba announced she had qualified for the Bar on October 16, marking the occasion on Instagram with the caption: “Officially, your very own barrister at your service.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jess (@its.jessikah)

Inaba spent half a decade studying law at the University of Law Bloomsbury in central London, creating her own Braille materials using lecture notes, and inscriptions from friends and tutors who read aloud to her.

She was also the university’s first black and blind student. 

The UK’s main legal organisations, including the Bar Council, and the Bar Standards Board, confirmed Inaba as the first ever blind and black female barrister. 

In an interview with The Times UK, Inaba said she hopes her trailblazing achievement will pave the way for more people from diverse backgrounds.

“I know I can do this job well, and the more people like me who go through training the easier it will become,” she said. “I know I’m giving hope to others in similar situations.”

“There’s a triple-glazed glass ceiling. I’m not the most common gender or colour, and I have a disability, but by pushing through, I’m easing the burden on the next person like me.”

“It’s been crazy – I still can’t really believe I’ve done it,” she continued. “One day I’ll wake up and realise how amazing this is.” 

“It was hard and I often thought of giving up, but my supportive family gave me courage and strength. I always believed in myself from the start – there’s nothing about me which means this isn’t possible.”

Inaba was born with Bilateral microphthalmia, an eye condition which renders babies with smaller than average eyes. 

After spending her early years in Lewisham, she relocated to Camden with her family before attending mainstream schools in Surrey where education programs for visually impaired students were available. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jess (@its.jessikah)

In October 2019, she was hospitalised after successive bouts of fainting. She told the Times UK she was operating on three hours sleep each night for over two years.

“I would sometimes get 45 minutes a day to eat, but often I ate while at my computer,” she explained. “I was spending more time preparing my own learning materials than I was studying.”

“The university had other visually impaired people who used text to speech, but I just can’t work like that. I need to read it physically for myself or I can’t remember it. Everyone is different and has a different work around for various situations.”

“A lot of people registered blind have some vision, so they can sometimes use large print, or some blind people manage well just by listening to text. Braille is expensive to produce because you need a lot of special software and equipment.”

Inaba graduated from a Master of Laws last November. In court, she uses a hand-held Braille keyboard to read and edit documents by hand, enabling her to listen to proceedings.

According to a report from The Bar Council in 2021, less than five per cent of barristers in the UK are black. The report also found that aspiring barristers from ethnic minority backgrounds find it harder to secure apprenticeships compared to their similarly qualified “White British peers”, and that white male barristers earned the highest fee income, women earned less than men, and Black women earned the least.

Treasurer of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, Justice McGowan, said Inaba’s “commitment and tenacity…demonstrate that she will be a great success.”

“Being called to the Bar is a remarkable achievement,” Justice McGowan said. “Being called to the Bar as a blind person is truly remarkable.” 

Inaba plans to apply for pupillage next January — an apprenticeship where new barristers receive their first placement in chambers. 

The post Jessikah Inaba becomes the UK’s first blind, black female barrister appeared first on Women's Agenda.

In what is the largest trial of its kind anywhere in the world, 3,300 workers from 70 companies will take part in a trial of the 4-day work week, with a large range of industries covered including financial services and hospitality.

Starting Monday, the trial will last for six months. Workers will continue to receive 100 per cent of their pay, despite cutting one day from their full and usual working week. They will be expected to retain the same level of productivity.

Researchers will then assess the trial according to the new work week’s impact on gender equality, productivity levels, the environment and employee wellbeing.

A number of partners and researchers have come together to run the trial, including 4-Day Week Global, the 4-Day Week UK Campaign, Autonomy and Oxford University, Cambridge University and Boston College.

So what will be the result of the trial, and how could the findings impact workplaces in Australia?

Thousands of workers in the UK have committed to help us all find out, stepping back one day a week — and continuing with their usual pay — to help the researchers determine the outcome. Government-backed trials are also set to begin in Scotland and Spain later this year.

But we’ve seen positive outcomes from some of the evidence already gathered.

According to the trials that occurred in Iceland, reducing hours from 40 to 36 hours a week so no drop in productivity. Research has also found that 63 per cent of companies find it easier to attract and retain talent with a 4-day work week, while 78 per cent of employers on 4-day work weeks are happier and less stressed.

Meanwhile, individual companies have also run their own tests, including Perpetual in the UK, which invited academics to monitor the result of its own eight-week, four-day week trial for staff back in 2018. The new work week became permanent, and Perpetual’s CEO Andrew Barnes become an advocate for more companies to follow, later launching 4 Day Week Global.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously suggested the 4-day work week would be a great idea for promoting domestic tourism, particularly after lockdowns.

The post Same salary, one less work day: Thousands commit to testing the 4-day work week appeared first on Women's Agenda.

UK authorities are seeking formal extradition of the 62-year old unless he returns voluntarily to be formally charged. At this stage, Spacey cannot be charged since he is not in the country. 

He faces a total of five charges — the first two relating to alleged sexual assaults against a man in London in March 2005, and another alleged victim who claims he was assaulted in August 2008.

A third complainant against Spacey relates to an alleged assault on a man, now in his 30s, in Gloucestershire in April 2013. Spacey is accused of a fifth count against one victim by allegedly causing them to engage in penetrative sex without consent — a serious crime akin to rape with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The Met Police have reviewed evidence of these complaints dating between 2005 and 2013, and are currently waiting for the CPS to make a decision, since it has not yet confirmed or denied whether Spacey will need to be extradited to the UK.

Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, Rosemary Ainslie, told BBC following the review of evidence, the CPS have “authorised criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men”.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial,” she said.

The Sun have reported on interviews that extradition experts held with Guardian which suggest that US police may be sent to locate Spacey and detain him on behalf of British authorities. 

Nick Vamos, the former head of extradition at CPS, believes Spacey could be sent back within weeks if he does not contest extradition.

“If he comes back to the UK, he could get a bail package that allows him to return to the US,” Vamos said, adding that the actor would have greater protections if he was formally extradited than if he flew back voluntarily.

US Department of Justice officials must first agree there was a probable cause the alleged offences were committed by Spacey, before they are permitted to order police to locate and detain him.

The post Kevin Spacey facing UK extradition to front sexual assault charges appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The letter was signed by over 100 actors based in the UK, including Alan Cumming, David Tennant, Juliet Stevenson and Richard E. Grant.

It called for a “parity pledge” to ensure women have equal representation across the UK’s political, cultural and entertainment platforms, such as film, TV, political debates and news content. 

“Today’s in demand young actress is tomorrow’s unemployed middle aged actress,” the letter begins, before listening a number of dire statistics regarding the lack of representation of older women. 

“Last year the BAFTA TV awards couldn’t find a single woman over the age of 38 for their leading TV actress category,” the letter reads.

All female nominees were under 38, while there were two men over 45 in the male category.

One AYAC study found that over the last two decades of the BAFTA TV awards (UK’s most prestigious entertainment awards) the average age of nominees in the Leading TV Actress category had fallen from an average age of 52 to an average age 32. 

Meanwhile, the average age of men in the Leading TV Actor category went from 48 to 45 — a very minor drop by comparison. “[It] means that men can continue to work comfortably within their playing age, and women can’t,” the letter states.

The AYAC report being told repeatedly by writers working in drama, comedy and feature films that the age of leading characters are “routinely aged down by commissioners, producers and production companies, particularly the age of the female romantic leading actress.”

Another AYAC survey data revealed while almost half of audiences could name more than 20 leading middle-aged male actors, just 9 per cent could name more than 20 leading actresses in middle age on British screens. 

“Ageism targeting women is an entrenched industry staple that is outdated, harmful and neglects the millions of audience members who appreciate seeing women over 45 telling the stories of our lives,” the letter expresses.

“As male filmmakers prizing a woman’s youth and beauty are joined by young women filmmakers with a seemingly endless list of mummy issues. We don’t need yet another older mother with no sense of humour, or entrenched in bigotry like unredeemed homophobia, or the apparent “cause” of her daughter’s mental health issues.”

“The patriarchal favouring “saintly father” and the matriarchal stigmatising “monstrous mother” is a tired and boring misogynistic trope; seemingly there to provide conflict which as with all areas of under representation and narrow representation needs to be limited.”

The letter concludes with 8 recommendations for broadcast, production company commissioners and news and current affairs to address.

They include ensuring a 50:50 age and gender parity of writers and performers of dramas and comedy in programming and commissioning, ensuring a range of representation based on age as well as race and ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, disability, a 50:50 age parity of women over 45 in line with men and young women in political panels and discussions, and equal coverage of entertainment news of women over 45. 

“A panel of only middle-aged men and young women is dated and unrepresentative,” the letter states.

“This isn’t an attack of artistic freedom. This is highlighting that too often excluding older women is enabled through the cloak of artistic choices.”

The Acting Your Age Campaign (AYAC) was founded four years ago by Nicky Clark, a carer who began her campaigning career advocating for disability rights. 

Her previous campaigns include “Don’t play me, Pay Me’ (2008) highlighting the lack of disabled actors in the entertainment industry, “People not Punchlines” (2012) calling to end comedy that targets people with disabilities in a derogatory manner, and “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” (2015) which challenged the lack of public understanding of conditions such as autism, a disability Clark was diagnosed with in 2015.

The post Over 100 UK actors sign letter calling for better onscreen representation of women over 45 appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Students across a number of cities in the UK will take part in the “Girls Night In” initiative, designed to raise awareness about drink spiking and demand better protections.

There have also been an increase in the number of women saying they have been spiked via injections from a needle while out at night. In September and October, there have been 198 confirmed reports of drink spiking and 24 reports of spiking by injection, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

A petition has also been launched for the government to make it law that nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment. 

“There are too many cases of weapons and ‘date rape’ drugs being used in clubs. It begs the question, why aren’t nightclubs required to do more to prevent harmful items making it into their clubs?” the petition states.

According to a notice by Nottinghamshire Police published last week, a total of 14 women and 1 man have reported being spiked by a needle in the local area.

Caroline Henry, the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said the police force was doing its “utmost to increase safety and feelings of safety”.

“I have also led discussions in the city to develop a strategic approach to tackling violence against women and girls in Nottingham’s night time economy,” she said.

Henry said more officers have been deployed to the city centre over the next few weekends, including Halloween weekend.

“Partner agencies across the city have also been working together to reiterate the message of reporting any concerns or incidents as soon as possible, to make sure forensic samples are taken and CCTV enquiries are carried out to help accelerate enquires.”

Police in Scotland are also investigating the issue, saying they have seen a small but notable increase in drink spiking incidents in recent months.

“Women, and men, should be able to go out for a night out without fear of being spiked. We are working with a range of partners, locally and nationally to ensure pubs and clubs are safe spaces for all. This includes working with licensees,” Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton said.

The Girls Night In campaign is calling for better protections including searches on entry to nightclubs, bars, and pubs, the introduction of protective drink covers and better training for venue staff.

The post Young women in UK boycott clubs and bars after reports of drink spiking appeared first on Women's Agenda.