Women’s earning power decimated by having kids
HAVING children has a devastating impact on women’s earning power, a new report has revealed.
The report, compiled by women’s rights campaign group the Fawcett Society and entitled “Not Having It All”, said that childless women working full time earned on average 9 per cent less than men, but that the gender pay gap rose to 21.6 per cent for full-time working mothers with two children.
It also highlighted the problem of discrimination during pregnancy, saying there has been a marked increase in the numbers of women seeking help on the matter during the downturn.
Dr Katherine Rake, director of the Fawcett Society, said: “The choice of whether and when to return to employment is of course a very personal one. However, it is critical that those mothers who choose or need to be in paid work should be able to do so without suffering a pay penalty.”