The gender pay gap is a term used to describe the discrepancy between the average hourly salary of a man and a woman. The Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Equality Act 2010 make it illegal for an employer to pay different wages to a man and a woman in the same position, however, most companies still have more men in higher-paying roles, for example. This contributes to the problem. In the UK, the gender pay gap stands at 15.4%.