Committed to promoting equal rights for women

Prospect is committed to fighting for equality of opportunity for women both in the workplace and within society generally. We believe in a better working life for women.

Equal pay

Despite years of legislation promoting equal pay, there remains a pay gap of 18% between women and men working full-time. Prospect continues to campaign to close this pay gap. We have a network of equal pay representatives who strive to ensure that pay systems operate fairly and that equal pay reviews are conducted on a regular basis.

Career development

Prospect campaigns to ensure that women are equally able to progress their careers by: pressing for an end to stereotyped attitudes in the workplace; the introduction of impartial job appraisal schemes; fair and open promotion opportunities. We also promote a charter for women working in science, engineering and technology (SET) occupations.

Work-life balance

We recognise that it continues to be mainly women who struggle to meet the demands of work and home responsibilities. We therefore press employers to introduce comprehensive work-life balance policies which should cover:

• flexible working arrangements, including career breaks
• part-time working and job sharing opportunities
• enhanced maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave
• assistance with childcare and elder care.

Harassment and discrimination

Prospect believes that everyone has the right to work in an environment free from harassment and discrimination. We seek to ensure that all workplaces have clear policies and procedures on these issues. We will provide help and advice for members if they are experiencing harassment or discrimination at work.

Networking

Prospect encourages participation of women members at all levels of the union. We can provide specialist training for our women members and we facilitate two networks:

Womanet: keeps Prospect women members in touch with each other, provides advice and support, and enables the union to draw upon members’ experiences.

Wisenet: Prospect’s Women in Science and Engineering network campaigns to keep women’s needs on the SET agenda and serves as a contact for women scientists and engineers in Prospect. 

Visit the main equalities page for the terms of reference for these two networks.

Domestic Violence: a guide for the workplace

This guide has been produced by the TUC and is aimed at union reps and employers who need advice on dealing with the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. It includes facts and figures about the prevalence of this crime, case studies, and advice on drawing up a workplace policy to address the key issues of support, referral, and confidentiality.

Links

WISE - Women into Science and Engineering - campaigns to encourage more girls and women to consider careers in science and engineering.

Equal Opportunities Commission: works towards eliminating sex discrimination and oversees implementation of the Sex Discrimination Act and Equal Pay Act.