The gender pay gap may be closing – but the earnings gap is not.

The Gender Pay Gap Regulations may have been put into force in 2017 and the Equal Pay Act in 1970, but there is still a huge disparity between the genders when it comes to earnings.

The recent pay rise promised to nurses invited comment from MP Nadine Dorries on BBC Woman’s Hour, who stated that ‘most nurses’ with ‘partners or husbands’ would be understanding of the 1% increase’s expense to the government. Evidently Dorries assumes that most nurses are female and undeserving of a salary enough to be self - sufficient.

Twitter user @helloitsolly opened a conversation explaining that a female lead was asking for ‘£375’ daily rate, compared to a male lead for ‘£795’, and that women shouldn’t be afraid to charge more. Jill Starley Grainger, a journalist commented that when female freelancers increase rates they lose out on work – men are ‘hired for their potential’, whereas women for ‘proven track records of the same work’.

The onus almost exclusively falls upon women to make unpaid contributions such as household chores, childcare and emotional labour alongside a full time job – in 93% of instances, according to a study conducted by UCL. Outgoings are on average higher for women in time and money with most on appearance to appear ‘professional’ and access higher paying jobs.

A female worker over 18 in a UK pub chain with two years experience was paid £6.50 per hour, whereas a newly hired under 18 male with no previous hospitality experience in the same role was being paid £8.50 p/h. The staff were discussing salary when the female contested to her manager – but without the conversation she would have lost out, with no other variable other than gender. ‘I think they would quite happily allow people to be paid less if they didn’t make a fuss’ says Sam Lloyd, a barman.

‘There was no transparency over salary - just a figure agreed at the interview stage. It was almost a dirty subject to discuss’, explained Jackie Clarke, former journalist and PR manager. Attitudes have changed since the 1980’s as society has become more open but the broader systemic issues in workplaces must be addressed before true equality can be reached.