Britain's equalities minister seeking to bring an end to the gender wage gap is paying the female members of her department nearly £2 less per hour than their male colleagues, it has been revealed.
Education secretary Nicky Morgan has tasked herself with naming and shaming companies failing to offer women the same pay as men.
But she may just have to start by admitting the failings of her own department after Government figures revealed her female employees are paid considerably less than their male counterparts.
Education secretary Nicky Morgan (pictured) has tasked herself with naming and shaming companies failing to offer women the same pay as men. Government figures revealed her female employees are paid considerably less than their male counterparts
Women working in the Department of Education are paid an average of £20.54 per hour - £1.76 less than the men who get £22.30.
Over the course of a year the difference works out as almost £3,000.
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell branded the clear disparity as 'embarrassing'.
Speaking to The Times, she said: 'This is deeply embarrassing for the education secretary who is also the government's lead equalities minister.
'If Nicky Morgan is unable to tackle the gender pay gap in her own department for women and equalities, what can she do?'
The Department for Education is also missing the target on board positions for women.
Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said if Mrs Morgan could not control the pay gap in her own department she had no hope of doing so elsewhere
Just 26 per cent of the department's board are women - less than the target of one third set for leading companies.
Speaking earlier this month, Mrs Morgan said the Government wanted to secure 'real equality' for women and reduce the gap in pay between men and women.
She was quoted saying: 'In recent years we've seen the best employers make ground-breaking strides in tackling gender inequality.
'But the job won't be complete until we see the talents of women and men recognised equally and fairly in every workplace.
'I'm calling on women across Britain to use their position as employees and consumers to demand more from businesses, ensuring their talents are given the recognition and reward they deserve.'
A study of the pay shows that the gap for those working in the Department of Education is closing. Over the last five years it has fallen to 8.7 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
As well as the wage difference, women also only account for a quarter of the department's 19 board posts.
Responding to the figures, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said: 'This government has gone further than ever before in tackling the gender pay gap.
'These figures show that we are closing the gap and increasing the numbers of women in senior roles in the department.'
The news about Mrs Morgan's department came as the Fawcett Society released data ahead of International Women's Day suggesting women earn on average £300,000 less over the course of their career than men.
The overall pay gap has fallen very slowly to 9.4 per cent according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, pictured
Fawcett Society chief executive Sam Smethers said: 'The gender pay gap becomes a significant lifetime pay penalty.
'The gap widens for older women and becomes a significant pensions gap in retirement.
'The impact of having children means that as men's careers take off, women's often stagnate or decline.
'Their salaries never fully recover. We have to make it easier for men to share care, create flexibility first at work and open up more senior roles as.'
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'We need a fair labour market that works for everyone and doesn't hold women back. Far more must be done to tackle the UK's gender pay gap.
'We need more quality part-time jobs, better-paid fathers' leave and more free childcare from the end of maternity leave to help mothers get back to work after having children.'
The overall pay gap stood at 9.4 per cent in April 2015, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Analysis with the latest data said: 'This is the lowest since the survey began in 1997, although the gap has changed relatively little in recent years.'
Speaking earlier this month, Mrs Morgan said the Government wanted to secure 'real equality' for women and reduce the gap in pay between men and women (stock photograph)
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