UK: Gender gap widens in pay for top charity jobs

A survey of third sector salaries in the UK conducted by Acevo, the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations in the UK, has revealed that the pay gap between male and female charity chief executives has widened over the past year. Women in top positions have in fact earned £11,000 less in 2008 than their male counterparts, while last year the survey had found the gap to be “only” £8,700. Overall, chief executive salaries for men have risen by 8% over the course of the year while female salaries only by 5%.

Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb said that he welcomed the salary rises as they prove that the third sector is finally catching up with public and private sector salaries and reflect charities’ growing professionalism. The survey in fact revealed that the executives of small charities had recorded increases of  23.3%. But he described the growing gender gap as “shameful”, calling on charities to “put their house in order”, especially because it is a sector “that champions social justice”.

The pay survey also showed that fewer than one in three charities have people from black and ethnic minority communities on their trustee boards. Bubb says that “the spectre of so many all-white trustee boards in modern-day, multi-ethnic Britain is deeply concerning, and that it could seriously damage the sector’s reputation.

Find out more: www.acevo.org.uk