12th November 2020

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The Fawcett Society responds to the EHRC report into unlawful pay discrimination at the BBC.

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of The Fawcett Society said:

"The fact that so many women have successfully challenged, both privately and in the courts, unequal pay at the BBC, securing significant pay rises and backpay in some cases, suggests a systemic problem with pay discrimination at the organisation. Unfortunately, in the few cases they looked at in depth the EHRC investigation did not find proof of that. This will be disappointing to so many women affected. It's not just the high profile cases, it's also women technicians, engineers and other backroom staff who have found themselves underpaid when compared with their male colleagues. This is why we are campaigning for the Right to Know, so that women can address pay inequality by finding out what their male colleagues earn if they suspect pay discrimination.

"Now the BBC needs to focus on how they move forward, make good any pay differences, rebuild trust with their female workforce and establish pay practices which value the women who work there on equal terms with men.

"None of this would have come to light without the courage of women like Carrie Gracie, Samira Ahmed and Caroline Barlow who led the way. We all owe them a huge debt."

/ends.