Brady calls for action over 'gender pay gap'

THE Apprentice star Baroness Karren Brady has called for faster action to close the gen- der pay gap, which stood at 6.9% last year.

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Ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday, the Conservative peer said the world of work rewards unbroken career progression while women who shoulder care for their children and families are put at a disadvantage.

Labour former trades union chief Baroness Frances O'Grady of Upper Holloway also said bolstered support for young families could “turbocharge” efforts to close the gap between men and women’s earnings.

The gender pay gap among full-time employees was 6.9% in April 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with women’s median hourly earnings at £18.87 against £20.27 for men.