Many women enjoy successful careers and even manage to ‘have it all’ - the goal of combining rewarding employment, family and social life. At the same time the entrenched inequalities of the past continue to cast a shadow. Men still tend to do better at work. The situation is improving, but too slowly. Enforcement of sex equality began 40 years ago with the Equal Pay Act. In subsequent decades the gap between men and women’s pay narrowed substantially - but it remains at around 17% including non-graduates, according to official figures. At higher levels of industry and business change has been similarly slow: just one in every ten directors of FTSE-100 companies are women and only one in three managers. Unfairness is less obvious when women first graduate, but three and a half years after university there is already a gap of £2,000 between the median pay of men and women who are in full-time work (according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s longitudinal survey of 2005 university-leavers). This is despite the fact that women and girls do as well or better than men whilst in education. A number of factors play a part: - Women tend to gravitate to the public sector, where graduate salaries can be on the low side. Men head in greater numbers into technology and business in the private sector where pay is better.
- Across most fields, when promotions are being considered, masculine qualities of confidence and forcefulness may be given greater weight than women’s typical strengths in people skills.
- As careers progress, an often decisive factor is played by the demands of childcare and the family which may remove women from the workplace for crucial years, or at least divide their attention.
- Downright discrimination also plays a part, despite being unlawful - for example, Alan Sugar said he would think twice before employing women who might become pregnant.
- Women are sometimes judged on appearance in a way that men are not.
Men can suffer from discrimination as well as women, finding it difficult to make headway in traditionally female-dominated professions - notably nursing and primary teaching. The legal routeLegislation establishing women’s rights has continued since the Equal Pay Act of 1970 required that men and women doing the same or equivalent work should receive identical financial rewards. Sex discrimination acts of 1975 and 1986 ranged much more widely, demanding fairness in recruitment and promotion, and banning harassment and victimisation including less favourable treatment due to pregnancy. More recently the employment act of 2002 promoted flexible working. Parents of children under five have the right to ask for flexible working and their employer must consider such requests seriously, although they do not have to be granted. To enforce the laws against discrimination, complainants must take their cases to Employment Tribunals. Anyone considering making a claim needs to gain advice and representation from bodies such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Citizens Advice Bureaux, trades unions and law centres. Making applicationsGetting the best possible start to your career following university is important for future success. You need to be able to sell yourself - explaining to each recruiter how you meet their specific requirements including both skills and qualifications. There is no room for normal levels of tentativeness when making applications and discussing them with interview panels. Your case will be stronger if while at university you take whatever opportunities you can to develop skills for employment through experience in societies, voluntary organisations and in the work place through both paid employment and internships. Experience in the field you are aiming for is most useful. Women’s professional networks and sections of professional organisations can be helpful for contacts and mentoring. It can be worth looking out for recruiters that voice a commitment to equality and diversity on their websites. The best employers will want people to know about their family-friendly approach and flexible working options. Some recruiters run particular events for female students and graduates because of their concern to remedy gender imbalances in their staff. However, realistically in the current highly competitive graduate job market, you may be unable to limit your search to employers who voice a commitment to equality. You have a right to expect every employer to give your applications fair consideration. Further information | 
