Women with children in the UK earn £302 less per week than men with children, according to new analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. The findings reveal that mothers earn nearly one-third less per week and almost 20% less per hour than fathers.
This pay disparity means that Mums’ Equal Pay Day 2025 will fall on 1 September—almost three months earlier than the Equal Pay Day observed for all women. From that date, mothers are essentially working for free for the rest of the year when compared with fathers.
Motherhood Widens the Gender Pay Gap
“The gender pay gap worsens significantly after women have children because starting a family has a disproportionately negative impact on women’s earnings,” explained Joeli Brearley, founder of Growth Spurt, an online scheme supporting parents returning to work.
While the ONS confirmed the accuracy of the analysis, Brearley stressed that the reality is worse, as the data does not reflect parents who become economically inactive due to caring responsibilities.
Barriers: Childcare Costs, Maternity Discrimination, and Lack of Flexibility
Brearley highlighted that childcare costs, maternity discrimination, and limited access to flexible work are key drivers behind the pay gap. Around 74,000 women are forced out of their jobs every year simply for becoming pregnant or taking maternity leave, earlier research by Brearley found.
“The majority of mothers say they’ve faced some form of disadvantage after taking maternity leave—ranging from missed promotions to being sidelined at work,” she noted.
Flexible and part-time jobs, often essential for mothers balancing work and childcare, tend to be low-paid and offer little opportunity for career progression. Since women are more likely to request such arrangements, they disproportionately suffer the career penalties attached to these roles.
Outdated Parental Leave System Reinforces Inequality
Another factor is the UK’s parental leave system, which often encourages women to take extended leave while men return to work quickly. “This entrenches the idea that caregiving is ‘women’s work’ and allows men’s careers to advance while women’s stall,” Brearley said.
Calls for Urgent Reform
Penny East, CEO of the Fawcett Society, which calculates Equal Pay Day, described the findings as “significant.” She warned that motherhood creates a “financial cliff edge” for many women, compounding with the gender pay gap to cause a long-term pension gap that pushes women into pension poverty later in life.
Dr. Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group, echoed these concerns, stressing that the UK’s leave system perpetuates gender inequality. “Even couples who intend to share childcare equally find women become the default parent,” she said.
Stephenson urged the government to reform parental leave in its upcoming review. “The current system is bad for everyone. Parents should be supported to share both paid and unpaid work more fairly.”
