The BBC’s former China editor who quit over the gender pay gap is donating her £280,000 payout from the Corporation to a women’s equality charity.
Carrie Gracie handed in her notice earlier this year after it emerged she was being paid hundreds of thousands less than her male colleagues.
Today the Corporation have apologised for saying she was ‘in development’, despite her working for them for 30 years, and has agreed to back pay her the difference.
It is believed she received around £280,000 in back pay from the BBC, and she says she is donating it all to The Fawcett Society, a women’s rights campaign group.
Carrie Gracie, the former BBC China Editor, has been awarded backpay by the corporation after she complained about its gender pay gap
Amid a very public row over its gender pay gap, the Corporation said it accepts Ms Gracie was told she would be paid in line with male editors in similar roles when she became China Editor.
Speaking outside of the BBC’s New Broadcasting House after the news of the agreement was announced, she said: ‘This is a huge day for me. I love the BBC – The BBC has been my work family for 30 years, and I wanted it to be the best.
‘Sometimes families feel the need to shout at each other, but it’s always a relief when you can stop shouting.’
She said she was grateful to director-general Lord Hall for leading ‘from the front’, adding: ‘In acknowledging the value of my work as China editor, the BBC has awarded me several years of backdated pay.
‘But for me this has always been about the principle, and not about the money so I’m giving all of that money away to help women who need it more than I do.
Carrie Gracie has said it is ‘always a relief when you can stop shouting’ after reaching an agreement with the BBC over a dispute about back pay
‘After all, today, at the BBC I can say I am equal, and I would like women in workplaces up and down this country to be able to say the same.’
Earlier this year, Ms Gracie, who is still employed by the BBC, told MPs that the corporation treated women who spoke out about pay disparity as ‘the enemy’.
In her statement, released by the BBC, she said: ‘I am glad to have been able to resolve this with the Director-General – it shows that we can make progress.
‘I’m also pleased that my work as China Editor has now been properly recognised by the BBC and relieved that this difficult period is over.
‘For me, this was always about the principle, rather than the money. I’m delighted to donate all the backdated pay from the BBC to help women striving for equality at work.’
A BBC statement said: ‘At her request, Carrie will now take up to six months of unpaid leave to write and speak, on both China and gender equality.’
A number of high-profile female presenters have rallied to Ms Gracie’s side during the dispute.
A number of BBC presenters praised Ms Gracie after the BBC announcement this morning
Broadcaster Clare Balding was among the first to respond to today’s announcement.
She tweeted: ‘I admire Carrie Gracie so much for her principled stand and applaud the dignity with which she has handled this situation.
‘To donate all of the agreed backpay confirms what we already knew – she is not fighting the fight for herself but for ALL #equalpay.’
Ms Gracie has previously criticised BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall, who she said she was ‘disappointed’ in after he complained about the Government forcing the broadcaster to reveal the pay of on-screen talent.
Today, he said: ‘I am pleased that we’ve been able to move past our differences and work through things together; we can now look to the future.
‘I’m also glad that Carrie will be contributing to Donalda MacKinnon’s project to make the BBC a great place for women to work. That really matters to me, and I want us to lead the way.’
BBC stars insist Gracie should not have had to fight to get equal pay
Jane Garvey said: ‘It should not have happened and should never have had to happen’
BBC stars have welcomed the broadcaster’s apology to Carrie Gracie – but said it was a battle that its former China editor should never have had to fight.
Woman’s Hour host Jane Garvey told the Press Association that the corporation’s apology ‘tells you everything you need to know’.
She said: ‘I’m so delighted for Carrie because I know it’s been a colossal strain for her. Although it’s great that she won the battle, it’s not a battle that she should ever have had to fight.’
The Radio 4 host said: ‘I hugely admire her for sticking her head above the parapet but it should not have happened and should never have had to happen.’
But she said Gracie had ‘won out and brilliantly’ because of the former China editor’s decision to donate her back pay to gender equality charity The Fawcett Society, ‘which is the most graphic illustration of the point that she was always trying to make – that it wasn’t about her but a point of principle’.
Garvey added: ‘She (Gracie) passionately believes in this – we have used our privilege to get this matter attention and I really hope it impacts positively on women who don’t have our privilege.’
She went on: ‘There are many other pay grievance claims going through the BBC featuring women on much smaller salaries and, obviously when you take in pension contributions over 15 or 20 years, that adds up to huge sums of money that women have been missing out on.’
Broadcaster Shelagh Fogarty quipped that the BBC was ‘in development’ – after Gracie told MPs earlier this year that she was given that assessment of her own career for not being paid as much as her male counterparts by the broadcaster.
‘All power to you, Carrie. Who’s ‘in development’ now?’, she tweeted, adding: ‘Hopefully the BBC.’
Presenter Clare Balding tweeted: ‘I admire Carrie Gracie so much for her principled stand and applaud the dignity with which she has handled this situation.
‘To donate all of the agreed backpay confirms what we already knew – she is not fighting the fight for herself but for ALL.’
Broadcaster Robin Lustig tweeted: ‘Well done Carrie. A battle well waged and well won.’
Saturday Live presenter Aasmah Mir wrote: ‘IMPORTANT: The BBC apologises for underpaying Carrie Gracie. Before you start – she’s donating the money to charity.’
And Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson tweeted: ‘Well done Carrie Gracie. That’s quite a result.’