Not having it all: How motherhood reduces women's pay and employment prospects. July 2009

A report looking at the impact of motherhood on women's pay and employment prospects, drawing together the most recent data from academic and government sources. It finds that:

• Before becoming parents, men and women are equally likely to be employed but childbirth marks the start of a great divide which continues even after children have left home. Just over half (57%) of mothers with children under 5 are in paid work compared to nine tenths of fathers (2).

• Even those women working full time experience a pay penalty – partnered women without dependent children earn 9% less than men on average but for mothers with two children working full time the pay gap is 21.6% (3)

• Pregnancy can make women particularly vulnerable to discrimination. During the recent downturn there has been a marked increase in the numbers of women seeking help because they believe they have experienced pregnancy related discrimination. (4)

The report calls for new policy responses to reduce the impact of motherhood on a woman’s earnings. Four priority areas emerge from the report:

1. Provide mothers with the support they need to return to jobs at their previous skills levels
2. Enforce and extend the law to protect pregnant women and women on maternity leave
3. Create substantially more part-time work in higher paid occupations
4. Tackle the low pay that exists in sectors primarily employing women.