Woman from Oxfordshire says there’s “still a long way to go towards gender equality”

A woman from Oxfordshire says we “still have a long way to go towards gender quality” due to a number of issues many women face such as the gender pay gap.

Today marks International Women's Day (IWD), and the first IWD was celebrated more than one hundred years ago, back in 1911.

"The gender pay gap is still has a massive impact on working women"

This year’s theme is how we can Accelerate Action for gender equality, by stepping forward in solidarity.

At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

Debbie Holligsworth is part of the Oxford International Women’s Festival, she says today is about “celebrating women's achievement, but also, recognising there’s still a long way to go towards gender equality. We're still talking about issues that we were talking about 20-30 years ago.”

She added: “The gender pay gap is still has a massive impact on working women, both while they're working, but also when they get to their pension age. It’s thought that at the end of November women stopped being paid compared to men because so from that date to the end of the year we're effectively working for free.”

Ms Hollingsworth also tells us how she would like to see action accelerated, she says, “it’s about putting things in place that enable women to have the same outcomes, where women are safe at home, on the street, at work and on the same level playing field about pay and pensions.”