About this Event
Join us for the Annual Arthur Lewis Lecture as our guest speaker Dame Rachel Griffith, Professor of Economics, reflects on the gender pay gap, and why it is still so prevelant in highly skilled work.
The extent to which males are paid more than females (the gender pay gap) has declined considerably over the past several decades, but much more so for workers in low paid jobs. The gender pay gap for highly skilled workers is still high at over 15% in the UK in 2025. Differences in pay can be a concern for both equity and efficiency reasons. It is not fair if people are being paid differently for the same work, and it is inefficient if similarly skilled workers do not face similar incentives to work. The gender pay gap could reflect many different factors, including the possibilities that women face different time constraints than men, make systematically difference choices when faced with the same incentives, have different expectations and behave differently, or are discriminated against.
In this lecture Rachel will discuss recent work that considers these issues by studying the gender pay gap in UK academia. The gender pay gap amongst research active academics remains high. Females are less present in higher paid disciplines and in senior positions, and women who make it into higher positions receive on average lower pay. However, the gender pay gap varies markedly across disciplines, from effectively zero in media studies and sociology, to over 15% in economics, medicine and psychology.
Women also publish fewer academic papers on average. We compile new data that allows us to learn about how the differences in publications relate to differences in pay between men and women working in the same discipline, and to differences across disciplines. Differences in publications explain up to half of the gender pay in some disciplines, but very little in others.
The lecture will be delivered as a hybrid event. Those attending online will be sent a separate online link closer to the event date. Online attendees will be able to submit questions via the Q&A function, which will be read to the speaker by a member of staff during the Q&A session.
The lecture will run for approximately 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session, and will conclude with an hour networking reception for in-person attendees starting at roughly 6.15pm.
We would just like to make you aware that the lecture will be professionally filmed and photographed, and camera footage may capture shots of the audience throughout the event and during the Q&A.
About the Speaker
is Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester and Research Fellow of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). She won the Birgit Grodal Award in 2014, was awarded a CBE in 2015, and was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2021 for services to economic policy and education. Rachel served as President of the European Economic Association from 2013–2015, becoming the first woman to hold the role, and as President of the Royal Economic Society from 2018–2021.
Rachel is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, the British Academy, the Academy of Social Scientists and an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Economic Association. She has been editor of the Journal of Political Economy and the Economic Journal. Her research broadly considers the design and effectiveness of government policy on consumers, firms and the functioning of markets.
Planning your visit:
ACCESSIBILITY: Please contact [email protected] should you have any access requirements. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible toilet in the basement.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS: Please contact [email protected] if you have any allergens or requirements.
*Hosted by the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences*
*This event is free and open to the public*
Event venue & nearby stays
Roscoe Building, Theatre B, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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