Sacramento outlines ‘game changing’ plans to tackle gender pay gap

The Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento, yesterday outlined ‘game changing’ plans for the advancement of women in the economy through a mentorship programme which will look to tackle the gender pay gap.

Ms Sacramento, along with her team from the Department for Equality, detailed the proposals at a press briefing ahead the formal launch of the mentorship programme next week.

The programme will be officially launched at an information evening at 6:00pm on Tuesday September 25 at the Garrison Library.

All those interested in participating in the mentorship programme, as a mentor or as a mentee, are encouraged to attend.

This is one of a number of strategies set to be rolled-out by the Ministry with the overarching aim of closing the gender pay gap.

“You can’t achieve that just by having one initiative you have to have a series of initiatives and we will be launching them throughout the year,” Ms Sacramento explained.

“I think it will pretty much be a game changer for the advancement of women in the economy in Gibraltar.”

She added: “This is really the catalyst for what we are doing in earnest.”

Research by the Ministry for Equality indicates that, just as in the rest of the world, a gender pay gap exists in Gibraltar, albeit the overall gender earnings gap here is lower than the European average.

As such, the Ministry of Equality has devised various strategies to address the gender pay gap.

The objective of this Women’s Mentorship Programme is to educate, inspire, and empower women with the core values, attitudes and skills that are the foundation of quality leadership.
We aim to enable mentees to observe, interact with, and learn from established professionals with the aim to close the gap by better positioning women to advance at work.

The Ministry for Equality aims to establish a network of professionals at all levels, whose expertise spans the economic and social spectrum.
The Ministry for Equality has prepared a very structured programme.

The pilot programme which will commence in October will run for three months and mentors are expected to commit to a minimum of 10 hours to each mentee.

The Ministry for Equality will provide an induction workshop to all mentors in early October who will also be provided with a toolkit.

Mentors and mentees will each receive a guidance booklet. The programme will be evaluated at the end of the three months in preparation for the next cycle in the New Year.

All professionals who would like to make a voluntary contribution and are willing to share their knowledge and expertise are invited to register to become mentors.

Similarly, woman over the age of 18 years and resident in Gibraltar who feel they would benefit from having an experienced mentor are encouraged to participate.

Ms Sacramento said: “I am delighted at the response we have received so far, and I invite all those in our community who can open doors to others to join the scheme as mentors and I also invite women willing to become part of a supportive and diverse community of learners to join as mentees.”

“I look forward to welcoming women seeking networking and development opportunities to attend our information evening on Tuesday”.

Please email equality@gibraltar.gov.gi to register your interest. The closing date for applications is October 5.