Responding to a new WHO and ILO report on the gender pay gap in the health and care sector, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said:
“This report is a stark reminder of the work that remains to be done. Across the globe, health and care is underfunded and professionals face very real discrimination in the form of a gender pay gap as much as 24 per cent.
“For nursing in particular, gendered notions fail to match the reality of a complex profession defined by technical, emotional and cognitive skills of the highest level. These perceptions were shattered during the pandemic as people saw the realities and complexities of modern nursing, yet this fundamentally unfair pay imbalance persists.
“The RCN's own research has found that despite women making up 90% of all nurses in the UK, they fill less than a third of senior positions and earn on average 17% less than men. We support the call for more investment in health and care globally, specifically nursing. In the UK, this must start with an immediate pay rise for all nursing staff and action to address the gaping inequalities found at every level.”
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Notes to Editors
- The report can be found here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240052895
