BRITAIN’S WOMEN AND WORK COMMISSION

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Minister for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt have announced the establishment of a Women and Work Commission to report in twelve months on what the government can do to reduce the gender pay gap, currently at 40 per cent in the UK (it’s 35 per cent in Australia for all average earnings) and to make the workplace fairer for women. In The End of Equality I advocated the establishment of a Royal Commission in the Equality of Women in Australia. The Australian government had ignored this call. It’s a shame John Howard can’t follow the example of his partner in the “Coalition of the Willing” when it comes to treating women fairly. Read the article