Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Black, Asian and minority ethnic women experience wider pay gap, reveals Labour survey

The party called for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.

Black, Asian and minority ethnic women experience wider pay gap, reveals Labour survey

Many black, Asian and minority ethnic women have already stopped earning two months before Equal Pay Day on 18 November compared to the average male worker, a new analysis by the Labour party has revealed.

In the wake of the findings, the party has urged the government to take urgent action on racial inequality, including through the introduction of mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, a statement said.


According to ONS figures, black Caribbean women earn 18 per cent less on average than men, making Wednesday 26 October Equal Pay Day for Black Caribbean women.

The gap is even wider for black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women, with Equal Pay Day for Black African women falling on 27 September (a 26 per cent pay gap), Bangladeshi women on 19 September (a 28 per cent gap) and Pakistani women falling on 8 September (a 31 per cent gap).

The Fawcett Society marked 18 November as Equal Pay Day in 2021. On that day, average woman stopped earning when compared to the average male worker due to the gender pay gap.

Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary, called on the government to back Labour’s policy of introducing mandatory ethnicity pay reporting for companies with over 250 employees.

She also sought assurances that full datasets will be regularly published. In 2018, the government consulted on introducing ethnicity pay reporting, but has now said it will now not move forward with the policy.

“The pay gap for all women is already bad enough; disturbingly, these figures show it’s even worse for many Black, Asian and minority ethnic women," said Dodds MP.

"It’s no surprise that so many Black women are struggling with the cost of living crisis when many earn a fifth less than men. Coupled with recent TUC research which shows that black, Asian and minority ethnic people are significantly more likely to be working in insecure jobs, it is clear that this Tory government has completely failed to get a grip on racial inequality.

“Labour is the only party committed to eliminating racial inequality through a new Race Equality Act and mandating large companies to publish their ethnicity pay gap. That is how we will deliver a fairer future for everyone, regardless of their background.”

Baroness Doreen Lawrence, chair of the Labour party’s Race Equality Act Taskforce, said: “Two years ago I highlighted the systemic inequality which led to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities being disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. These figures provide further shocking evidence of those inequalities.

“Labour’s Race Equality Act will take the urgent action needed to tackle racial inequality across our society, including introducing mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and better data collection.”

Early this year, the women and equalities select committee (WEC) asked the government to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting by April 2023 for all organisations that currently report for gender.

The government refused to do so citing 'significant statistical and data issues' as the reason.

More For You

MIT-Anantha_Chandrakasan

Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. (Photo credit: MIT)

MIT

Prof Chandrakasan becomes MIT's first Indian-American provost

PROF ANANTHA CHANDRAKASAN has been appointed as the new provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the first Indian-American to take on the role. Currently serving as MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer and dean of engineering, Chandrakasan will assume his new position on July 1.

Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. She said he brings an exceptional record of innovation and leadership to the position.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India cancels London flight over aircraft unavailability

The flight was scheduled to depart on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo: Air India)

Air India cancels London flight over aircraft unavailability

AIR INDIA’s flight from Ahmedabad to London, operating under a new code following the June 12 crash, was cancelled on Tuesday (17) due to the unavailability of an aircraft. The airline cited airspace restrictions and precautionary checks as the cause.

The service, now listed as flight AI-159, replaced the earlier AI-171 flight which crashed shortly after take-off last Thursday (12), killing 270 people, including 29 on the ground. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 passengers and crew on board, with only one survivor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference at Westminster Highlights Religious Persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

A high-profile conference on religious freedom in Bangladesh and Baluchistan was held at Portcullis House, Westminster, organised by the Dharmic Ideas & Policy Foundation (DIPF), hosted by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East), and supported by APPG leaders on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), including Richard James Shannon MP and Julie Jones on 9 June 2025.

Chairing the conference, Mr Blackman condemned the ongoing persecution of minorities in both regions, describing the situation as dire and deteriorating.

Keep ReadingShow less
abortion protests

Protesters hold up placards during a march through central London on June 17, 2023, to call for decriminalisation of abortion. (Photo: Getty Images)

Parliament to vote on abortion law reform for Women

MPs are expected to vote on Tuesday on a proposed change to abortion laws in England and Wales that would prevent women from being prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies.

Under current law, women can face criminal charges for terminating a pregnancy beyond 24 weeks or without the approval of two doctors. The law still carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave

The spike in temperature is due to a period of high pressure currently centred over the UK

iStock

UK weather forecast says heatwave is coming and it could last for days

Britons are set to enjoy a burst of summer sunshine as forecasters predict a heatwave over the weekend, with temperatures expected to rise higher than those in parts of southern Europe. The Met Office anticipates that the UK could experience its hottest days of the year so far, with the south-east likely to be the warmest region.

Temperatures to reach 32°C in parts of the UK

According to the latest weather forecast heatwave predictions, temperatures could peak at 32°C on Saturday, 21 June, and Sunday, 22 June in areas including London and Kent. These highs would surpass conditions in traditional holiday destinations such as Portugal and southern France.

Keep ReadingShow less