International Women’s Day 2016: Seven quotes from women that prove the gender pay gap is ever present

It might be four decades since the Equal Pay Act was introduced but it seems we still have a long, long way to go until women’s pay packets match their male counterparts.

New data from The Fawcett Society has revealed that women are likely to earn £300,000 less over the course of their working lives than men. To put this into context, women earn an average of £5,732 less than men every single year.

With the Forbes rich list released just days ago, yet again no women have made the cut.

From esteemed feminist Gloria Steinham to global superstar Beyonce, here is a selection of quotes which prove the gender pay gap is still alive and kicking.

“You have a girl taking out the same college loan as her male counterpart in her class. But she will take years longer to pay off her student loan. It will take her longer to buy a house. She will have less money in her retirement account and be more likely to be poor when she's elderly. Her kids will be affected. The issue of pay inequality is really important because experts say it will take 40 years for that gap to close. We don't have 40 years to wait”.

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“A few years ago, I was lucky enough to become stepmom to a wonderful girl (a woman now; she's 18), and I'd like to be an example for her. I hope that in whatever profession she chooses, her hard work will be considered just as valuable as anyone else's. So it's time for me to talk about this. I may not be able to single-handedly fix the pay gap, but I can open my stepdaughter's eyes to it. I can encourage her to negotiate, ask questions, and stand up for herself.”

“If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.”

“Equal pay is not yet equal. A woman makes 77 cents on a dollar and women of color make 67 cents... We feel so passionately about this because we are not only running for office, but we each, in our own way, have lived it. We have seen it. We have understood the pain and the injustice that has come because of race, because of gender. And it's imperative that... we make it very clear that each of us will address these issues.”

“We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect.”

“I'm over trying to find the 'adorable' way to state my opinion and still be likable! F**k that. I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It's just heard.”

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“In 1947, Anita Summers, the mother of my longtime mentor Larry Summers, was hired as an economist by the Standard Oil Company. When she accepted the job, her new boss said to her, “I am so glad to have you. I figure I am getting the same brains for less money.” Her reaction to this was not to get upset. Instead, she felt flattered. It was a huge compliment to be told that she had the same brains as a man. It would have been unthinkable for her to demand the same pay.”