In 21st century Britain, women and men have achieved equality by de jure – if not necessarily always by de facto. Latest figures published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills indicate that women can expect to earn, on average, 20% less than their male counterparts.

Such stark figures suggest more needs to be done by businesses to address the gender gap.

In the latest initiative to strive for gender equality, newly passed government legislation decrees that businesses across the UK must, from April 2017, publish their gender pay gap in new league tables. Targeting businesses with over 250 employees, this move intends to incentivise employers to reconcile any pay issues previously undisclosed while affirming their stance as a provider of equal opportunities, no matter a person’s gender identity.

It is also hoped the government can use the findings to begin tackling the causes of unequal gender pay at an earlier stage in a woman’s career – for example, encouraging school-aged girls to take up typically higher-paying STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.

In 2015, the CIPR published figures that indicated a pay gap of over £12,000 between men and women in the public relations profession. For a sector that sees a workforce comprised largely of females, establishing reasons behind the lack of progression of women to senior roles must go beyond issues of childcare. Perhaps the new league tables are the first step in solving such a problem.

In the communications industry, the league table should encourage greater transparency for stakeholders, while perhaps encouraging similar firms overseas to consider their gender diversity strategy.

However, some PR professionals argue that the new legislation does not go far enough. This is regarding both time taken for implementation, and the failure of league tables to address a corporate culture of gender inequality which has, in higher-level PR, for so long been the norm.

Jo Sellick, managing director at specialist recruitment agency Sellick Partnership, says, ‘The league table is a simple chart that says nothing about the reality behind the statistics and what will be done to level the playing field. It needs to be accompanied by consequences, otherwise this is simply a gimmick played out by the government to buy time and give the impression of activity.”

“Instead, I’d like to see a true action plan that is quickly implemented by the government in the form of legislative changes, forcing employers to act and outlining clear repercussions for those who fail to do so. This should apply to businesses of all sizes without any loopholes, ruling out the common practice of using bonuses to broaden the gender pay gap in a less obvious but equally disturbing manner.”

The new league tables are unsurprisingly seen by some as a token gesture; it is unlikely their publication will solve engrained gender issues of the business world. But, with the pay gap still equivalent to a woman earning 80p for every £1 earned by a man, making earnings more transparent is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.