According to figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, there now exists a gap of 15.2% within the UK cultural sector, a category that includes work in the performing arts, film and TV, alongside museums, galleries and libraries. This means that for every £1 earned by men working in this sector, women are paid 85p.
“Sadly, these statistics tally with reports Equity has received from our female members, who experience a range of issues that contribute to lower pay overall,” a spokesperson for the UK performing arts union said according to The Guardian. “This includes a lack of rights to maternity leave and pay when working on short-term contracts, inflexible workplaces that do not take caring responsibilities into account, and exclusionary practices at the point of recruitment. In addition, the group Era 50:50, which campaigns for an equal gender balance on screen and stage, reports that men outnumber women two to one in acting roles on our screens.”