BBC Women: Gender pay gap issue is ‘serious’

BBC stars such as Kirsty Wark, Jane Garvey, Louise Minchin and Mishal Husain have called for “solutions” over the gender pay gap after Director-General Tony Hall announced an audit of equal pay.

Lord Hall said the broadcaster was “determined” to tackle the issue, saying that “our gap is primarily about the different balance of men and women at different levels”.

In an address to staff, he said: “It’s based on the whole picture across the organisation – and the causes tend to be structural – and societal.”

In a statement posted by the BBC Women group on Twitter, they wrote that “solutions” should be in place before the end of the year.

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“The Director General must be in no doubt about how serious an issue equal and fair pay is for women across the organisation,” they said.

“The BBC should be the standard bearer for this.

“We await the swift release of meaningful data that we can trust and for solutions that will rectify injustices to be put in place before the end of the year.

“We need full transparency. Our aim is to change things for women in broadcasting now, and to encourage and reassure young women coming into the industry whatever their role.

“We will be monitoring developments to ensure real change happens, and quickly.”

Woman’s Hour host Garvey, who organised a letter from some of the BBC’s most prominent female stars calling on the Corporation to “act now” on pay, wrote on Twitter: “If I’ve learnt anything: women need to get together, stick together, speak up for each other. Or nothing will change.”

Broadcaster Wark, BBC Breakfast host Minchin, Today host Husain and sports presenter Clare Balding all posted the statement online.

Balding wrote: “Interesting announcements today. Much work to be done. Thanks to all (including some men) supporting BBC Women.”