The gender pay gap is, sadly, not a new thing. It has long existed in Britain but will hopefully become something that our children and grandchildren think as bizarre as smoking on aircraft and not wearing a seat belt in a car.
There are few signs of it going away soon, though. Just look at the figures — a woman who works full-time earns an average of £24,202 but a man gets £29,934, a gap of about £5,700 that is not necessarily representative of a higher level of competence, experience or commitment.
Pay matters whatever age you are but it comes particularly into focus when a couple have their first child and the thorny issue of childcare bills turns up on their doorstep along with