Research by diversity consultancy INvolve, in conjunction with HR Data Hub, has shown that much more needs to be done to address gender equality in business.

An analysis of 250,000 professionals found that 77 percent of people with salaries over £73,000 are men, whilst women make up the majority (56 percent) of those professionals who are in the lowest pay bracket of up to £17,000.

The research also found that women have spent longer in each role at the lower end of the pay scale, but as they become more senior, this dramatically reduces.

For instance, a woman has spent an average of 10 years on a salary of ...