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At the end of October the FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association , from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, following his actions after the Women’s World Cup Final.
Jenni Hermoso scored the winning goal for Spain against England in the final. During the presentation of the World Cup trophy Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips, which Hermoso said was not consensual and she filed a legal complaint. The subsequent scandal led to the emergence of a hashtag #SeAcabo – or ‘It’s over’ – in Hermono’s support and as a protest against sexism.
Unfortunately, the gender pay gap is not over in UK boardrooms. The Evening Standard newspaper reported on research from law firm Fox & Partners which found that the pay gap between male and female directors at UK companies was still a huge 70%, although this is a slight improvement on last year’s 70%. The average pay for female directors was £309,000, compared to £1.04m for men. Amongst chief executives, men received an average £3.3m, more than a third above the average £2.4m for women.
Catriona Watt at Fox & Partners told the newspaper that business needs to invest in programmes that prepare women for the most senior executive positions for significant change to occur. She said: “For example by ensuring that they have access to projects that bolster their experience and address any potential gaps, as well as being transparent about requirements for promotions and progression.”
Hermoso’s career has thankfully continued to progress as she was named in the Spanish squad for the first time last month. She came on as a 68th-minute substitute in a match against Italy and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. Many more winners will be seen at the Markets Media Group’s ninth annual U.S. Women in Finance Awards, being held on Thursday 16 November at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. Congratulations in advance to all the nominees and those who receive an award.
