Equal Pay Day Sees Female BBC Employees Demand An End To 'Damaging' Gender Pay Gap

The broadcaster revealed in July that just a third of its top earners are women.

Female BBC employees around the world are using Equal Pay Day to demand that bosses end the gender pay gap, months after the broadcaster revealed just a third of its top earners are women.

Presenters, reporters and editors in locations as far-flung as Cairo and the Syrian border took to social media in solidarity against the pay gap, and called on male colleagues to support the cause.

Radio 4 Today presenters Sarah Montague and Mishal Husain were among those who posted photos of themselves wearing equality T-shirts, with Montague adding the hashtag ”#bbcwomen”.

Happy #EqualPayDay! #bbcwomen pic.twitter.com/3K0KJ4eTFl

— Sarah Montague (@Sarah_Montague) November 10, 2017

When the BBC published a list of its top earners in July, it was forced to reveal that its highest-paid male presenters collectively pocketed almost four times the total amount of the top four female presenters.

A serious pay disparity was also exposed on the Today programme.

While the document showed that John Humphrys earned between £600,000 and £649,999 in the year up to April 2017, Husain took home between £200,000 and £249,999 and Montague earned less than £150,000.

It was announced last week that Montague would be leaving the Today programme after 17 years fronting the show, with many suggesting that the row over pay was behind her move.

Speaking to the Radio Times about the issue in October, Montague said the disparity in pay was “professionally damaging”.

“There is an underlying pay gap that there should not be. Why should somebody be paid less for doing the same work?,” she told the magazine.

Closing the gender pay gap is about equality. It should matter to everyone #equalpayday https://t.co/0u0dWdH0FT @fawcettsociety pic.twitter.com/5wv8DyxgFt

— Mishal Husain (@MishalHusainBBC) November 10, 2017

“The BBC should not be doing things unfairly. We sit in that studio and challenge people over being unfair, so the BBC, of all places, should be fair.”

A survey by the National Union of Journalists released on Equality Pay Day - which marks the point in the year at which female employees “start working for free” - found that 8 out of 10 women at the BBC believe they are paid less than their male counterparts.

Woman’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey and Radio 5 Live host Emma Barnett added their voices to the movement:

New scientific research I’ve just invented says only well-endowed men can fully support closing the gender pay gap #equalpayday #bbcwomen

— Jane Garvey (@janegarvey1) November 10, 2017

Apparently it will be 100 years until I can stop tweeting my annual #EqualPayDay photo. Which is,
quite frankly, shit. https://t.co/7sQ14ix48E pic.twitter.com/zX8ftuMNEf

— Emma Barnett (@Emmabarnett) November 10, 2017

#equality at work. Jane Corbin & @SeamasMcCracken support #EqualPayDay from Gaziantep in S.Turkey nr Syria border. pic.twitter.com/zg1dYCGlqH

— wietske burema (@wburema) November 10, 2017

Men, listen up! Your daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, friends and colleagues NEED YOUR SUPPORT on #equalpayday pic.twitter.com/sY0JsHmrra

— Carrie Gracie (@BBCCarrie) November 10, 2017

When I started full-time work, in 1985, never occurred to me that I or any female colleague might be paid a penny less that a man for the same work. Have learned some lessons since then. #EqualPayDay

— Orla Guerin (@OrlaGuerin) November 10, 2017

I'm pretty sure my sex shouldn't determine my lower pay but it does. #EqualPayDay pic.twitter.com/7lngfxmAh9

— Sheetal Parmar (@SheetalParmar) November 10, 2017

It is fair and it is a legal requirement. Equal pay for equal work. This applies to all employers and all women. #EqualPayDay #BBCWomen pic.twitter.com/cxmE5kf9q9

— anita anand (@tweeter_anita) November 10, 2017

Me & Radio little bro’ @gregjames #EqualPayDay
It all adds up 👌 pic.twitter.com/rB3YTR98Xc

— Jo Whiley (@jowhiley) November 10, 2017

When I started work EqualPayAct had been law for 20yrs. The young me would be horrified we're still battling for it #EqualPayDay #bbcwomen

— Samira Ahmed (@SamiraAhmedUK) November 10, 2017

"All broadcasters are equal. Some are more equal than others" it's #EqualPayDay. If inequality exists for #BBCwomen you can be sure it does everywhere. Fight inequality. Please RT pic.twitter.com/Gu0uNXEiNF

— razia iqbal (@raziaiqbal) November 10, 2017

#EqualPayDay #bbcwomen with @TonyElKhouryBBC equal pay for equal work. pic.twitter.com/7KgBRvtvtW

— Farnaz Ghazizadeh (@BBCFarnaz) November 10, 2017
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