Menopause, Money & the Next Generation
There is lots of work to be done to create truly equitable workplaces. From underestimated pay gaps to the motherhood penalty, from pensions inequality to the cost of menopause, the data is sobering - but also a rallying call for change.
Gender Pay Gap Understated for Two Decades
According to the Financial Times, the UK’s gender pay gap has been systematically understated for 20 years due to flaws in ONS methodology. The true gap today may be closer to 8% than the official 7%.
Why does this matter? Because accurate measurement underpins progress. That’s why we created the Gender Equity Measure (GEM) Report, benchmarking 400 of the UK’s largest employers on pay gaps, leadership representation, and parental policy transparency.
On 8th October 2025, we gathered with LinkedIn and The Sunday Times to preview the 2025 results and celebrated the companies leading the way our WiW100 and Trailblazers - Read the WiW GEM Report 2025.
The Motherhood Penalty: £302 Less Per Week
The Guardian reports that UK mothers earn £302 less per week than fathers - a third less, and nearly 20% less per hour. Every year, 74,000 women are forced out of work due to pregnancy or maternity discrimination.
Too often, women step back not because they want to, but because the workplace won’t flex. Offering enhanced parental leave is a start - but culture change is the breakthrough.
Working Longer, With Less
The number of women aged 65+ in work has reached a record 710,000, almost triple the early 1990s ( This Is Money ). For some this reflects choice - financial independence, purpose, social connection. But for many, it reflects necessity.
Women’s retirement savings remain half the size of men’s, a gap driven by lower pay, interrupted careers, and unequal caring responsibilities.
Menopause in the Workplace: A £1.5bn Problem
The i Paper reports that one in ten women leave work due to menopause, costing the UK economy £1.5bn a year. From 2027, large employers will be legally required to publish Menopause Action Plans.
Young Women at Risk: Record Numbers Jobless
The Sun reports that nearly one million under-25s are now NEETs - that’s young people Not in Education, Employment or Training.
The increase is being driven by young women, with 450,000 female NEETs - the highest since 2016. This means one in eight young people is currently out of the system entirely, facing limited prospects for future work or financial independence.
This crisis shows why equity must be built with the next generation in mind.
Why This Matters
The headlines make the case crystal clear:
The pay gap is deeper than we thought
The motherhood penalty is costing women hundreds each week
Women are working longer but retiring poorer
Young women are being left behind
And menopause support is finally being written into law
For business, the takeaway is simple: Equity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s morally right, economically essential.
The WiW movement is needed more now than ever.