In his ministerial response to a report produced by the Gender Pay Gap Review Panel, Senator John Le Fondré has accepted the ‘overarching recommendation’ that the government should take ‘immediate action to close the gender pay gap’.
But his response to the recommendation says that the issue ‘will not be resolved overnight’ and that it cannot be addressed by the government alone.
It says: ‘It should be recognised that the issue is much broader than purely a governmental response, and requires society in its entirety to be accountable.’
The panel’s report found that in Jersey’s public sector men earn an average of 13.6% more than women.
Other recommendations accepted by the Chief Minister were for the government to produce statistics on the public sector pay gap and to act to reduce it. Proposals that were fully rejected, however, included a call for the Education Minister to act to reduce gender segregation in GCSE subjects.
The response says: ‘The choices made for the GCSE have shown that “gender segregation” is not an issue for concern. Indeed, the options selected for each student’s GCSEs are their choice.’
And a recommendation for a head of diversity to be appointed in the public sector was also dismissed.
‘Diversity and inclusion are not the responsibility of one role.
‘All employees are accountable, and all Tier 1 and Tier 2 leaders have this accountability as part of their core responsibilities,’ the response says.
Senator Le Fondré partially accepted a number of proposals, including the Education Minister undertaking an audit of registered childcare providers, pre-school and primary schools to ensure gender-neutral practices.
The response says: ‘Our focus is on ensuring that developmentally appropriate activities are offered to all children, that acknowledge that girls and boys may show different characteristics of ways of learning, and develop at different rates.’
He also partially accepted a call for an audit of schools’ curriculum choices, with a view to evaluating the ethos and culture at each school.
‘Jersey provides a rigorous approach towards ensuring the curriculum offer is broad and balanced,’ the response says.
‘Each secondary school is required to lay out their curriculum offer for parents on their website, and this includes the examinations offered.’
In conclusion, the response says: ‘The Council of Ministers welcomes the report of the Gender Pay Panel Review, and applauds the hard work that has gone into the production of a wide-ranging review of the issue in Jersey.
‘It has raised many challenges, which will inform policy development and ensure that they are front and centre, as social and employment policy evolves, both within government and in wider Jersey society.’
