Description
'Equal tells a personal story that changed the public debate' Guardian
'[An] absorbing account . . . she laces her tale with mordant humour' Financial Times
'A gripping personal story told with warmth and wit, combined with a 'how to' guide for anyone who wants to ensure women are paid as true equals' Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister
Equal pay has been the law for half a century. But women often get paid less than men, even when they're doing equal work.
Mostly they don't know because pay is secret. But what if a woman finds out? What should she do? What should her male colleague do? What should the boss do?
Equal is the inside story of how award-winning journalist Carrie Gracie challenged unequal pay at the BBC, alongside a wider investigation into why men and women are still paid unequally. It's a book that will open your eyes, fix your resolve and give you the tools to act - and act now.
'The BBC journalist's important account of her struggle to win equal pay is full of sound advice for women' Observer
'Pragmatic and honest' Mail on Sunday
'Pulls no punches' Sunday Times
'A book that can read like a tortured love letter to an abusive partner . . . and shows that such casual slights and the unthinking bias behind them remain an organisational and societal scandal' Financial Times
'She tells the story of her struggle and eventual triumph as a way of encouraging us, of changing our society, of giving us all courage . . . Equal is a very important book' Sandi Toksvig
Longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award 2019
About the Author
Carrie Gracie grew up in north east Scotland and set up a restaurant before completing a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford. In a BBC career spanning more than three decades, she has served as China correspondent and Beijing bureau chief, presenter on the BBC News Channel and host of the weekly BBC World Service programme The Interview. She has made many documentaries for TV and radio, winning prizes including a Peabody and an Emmy, and commentating at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In January 2018, Gracie left her post as the BBC's China editor in protest at unequal pay, publishing an open letter to BBC audiences and giving evidence before a parliamentary committee. Six months later, she won an apology from the BBC. She donated all her back pay to the gender equality charity, the Fawcett Society, to help low-paid women facing pay discrimination. She continues to serve as a BBC News presenter, and as a member of the 'BBC Women' group, she campaigns for a more equal, fair and transparent pay structure at the national broadcaster.
Reviews
Part instruction manual, part howl of rage, Equal tells a personal story that changed the public debate . . . The book is full of advice for others - there is a separate section at the end for employers, men and women . . . [Carrie Gracie's] decision to use her personal story for the public good has put the issue of equal pay firmly on the agenda * Guardian *
The BBC's former China editor recounts her hard-fought battle with the broadcaster for equal pay, artfully weaving in the history of gender inequality and tips for women - and men - who wish to continue her campaign for equitable treatment * Financial Times (Best Books of 2019) *
Carrie Gracie's pragmatic and honest tone hugely boosts her aim of inspiring millions of women 'who are at grave risk of being underpaid and undervalued at some stage in their working lives, if not throughout it' * Mail on Sunday *
Carrie Gracie pulls no punches in this account of how she clashed with the BBC over gender-pay inequality . . . In the book, which is written with great clarity and backed up by a good deal of research, Gracie not only details her own experience but also weaves in studies showing how unconscious bias and gender stereotyping leave women undervalued at work * Sunday Times *
An instructive account of a gruelling battle for equal pay at the BBC . . . [Equal] is about more than just well-heeled media folk. Gracie paints a broader picture of the historical, academic and legal context of women's fight for equality . . . [It's] a tribute to the power of collective action * Financial Times *
[Carrie Gracie's] important account of her struggle to win equal pay is full of sound advice for women . . . Gracie understands all the various ways in which pay inequality can play havoc with a person's self-belief and peace of mind, and in her book she staples them to the page . . . For me, the most resonant parts of her book have to do with her self worth. "Carrie, it's always such a joy to see you," says James Harding, the then director of news at the BBC, when she sees him for a meeting in 2015. "You deliver so much and ask so little." -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
She quit her job as the BBC's China editor over pay discrimination. Now, in a personal and campaigning book, Carrie Gracie explains how to achieve true equality - both in terms of pay and in life * Red *
The story of [Carrie Gracie's] campaign - and why it matters * The Times *
What I admire about Carrie Gracie is not just her bravery, though that is amazing, but more that she tells the story of her struggle and eventual triumph as a way of encouraging us, of changing our society, of giving us all courage. She shows what can happen when women work together to call out blatant injustice and to insist that all women are fairly and equally paid. It's hard to believe we're still having these conversations in 2019 but we are and that is why we need heroes like Carrie. EQUAL is a very important book -- Sandi Toksvig
A gripping personal story told with warmth and wit, combined with a 'how to' guide for anyone who wants to ensure women are paid as true equals -- Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister
Equal is an inspiring memoir exploring why women often find it difficult to assert their value in the workplace, as well as a practical guide to what women and men - employees and employers - can do to achieve pay equality for women now and in
the future
Awards
Long-listed for Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2019 (UK).
Book Information
ISBN 9780349012261
Author Carrie Gracie
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Virago Press Ltd
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 420g
Dimensions(mm) 218mm * 138mm * 30mm
