In 1970, the UK passed the Equal Pay Act, which prohibited less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment. It was an historic moment, finally embedding the principle of equal pay for equal work.
But during the five intervening decades, the implementation of the principle of equal pay for equal work has been what can only be described as a woeful, shameful failure. This failure is rooted not only at the level of policy, but also in cultural attitudes to women in the workplace. And it's worth adding this is a global problem.
Thankfully, a harsh spotlight is being turned onto this problem. And it is a problem. Why should a woman be paid less than a man if the work she has done is the same? The data shows categorically that we judge work to be worth a whole lot less when a woman does it. As one internet meme characterises it: "Women: like men, only cheaper."
According to the World Economic Forum's 2016 Gender Gap report, it will take 170 years to close the gender pay gap. In the UK, women have created Equal Pay Day, which fell in 2016 on November 10. Due to the disparity in pay, they point out that after this day in the year women are essentially working for free.
Recent BBC revelations about their most highly paid stars laid bare the fact that women are paid significantly less. Now, cast your lens further to other sectors. Take sport, for example. There, women are also paid significantly less. The controversy continues about female tennis stars - they are told they don't draw as large a crowd.
What is fascinating in every instance are the excuses for the discrepancy. Women don't ask for enough, it is said. It's the fault of their agents. Women don't have the appeal of men. Before the Equal Pay Act, the excuse for men's higher salaries was that they had to support families and so needed more money; or that employers simply didn't need to pay women more; and that women should just get used to it.
But for women, who often do the most important yet thankless jobs in our societies, income inequality can result in the difference between poverty and a basic living standards. That is, however, beside the point. Equal pay for equal work.
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Read more:
Top BBC women demand pay equality sooner than 2020
Row over public spending as top earners at the BBC revealed
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Then, there's the description about "women's work" and "women's jobs". "Women's work" is a catch-all for housework and childcare. It is uttered rather disdainfully, particularly by men who see it as beneath them. I'm not going to do that, they say, that's women's work.
Is it women's work because it carries no status, or does it carry no status because it is women who do the bulk of it? How bizarre that our societies consider the very fabric of life -- maintaining homes and caring for children -- as something of no status or importance, despite all the grandiose praise for motherhood and homemaking.
In the workplace, some sectors are dominated by women, and some by men - education versus corporate life, for example. The sectors where women dominate -- often thought of as 'women's jobs' -- are less valued and less paid. Or are they less paid because they are "women's jobs"?
We know as well that the gender pay gap is exacerbated by other intersecting factors, such as ethnicity.
Indeed, Black Women's Equal Pay Day was marked in the US earlier this week on Monday. Tennis star Serena Williams came out in passionate support. She pointed out that black women in the US have to work an additional eight months to earn the equivalent of white men. And they earn 17 per cent less than white women.
There's no getting away from it -- women's effort and focus is simply less rewarded. The first step is to admit we do it, and stop hiding behind pathetic excuses.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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The specs
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MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
