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Theresa May has called on fathers to share parental responsibility more equally to make it easier for women to have a career as well as a family.

The Prime Minister spoke out on the issue in a piece in The Sunday Times after it emerged that 78 per cent of large UK firms pay men more money than women.

The findings were published as part of new government legislation requiring companies to make public details of any gender pay gaps among staff.

Mrs May, who brought forward the legislation last year, said that the gap is at a “historic low” but added that “the fact that one systemically exists at all is rightly provoking a national debate”.

She said the data published has left the country with “several hard truths” and “uncomfortable reading” about inequality.

“In some areas of the economy the problem is worse than we thought,” she said.

She said that “transparency alone will not solve this problem” and called on organisations to “confront” the issue head on.

The Prime Minister warned that those who fail to do so risk fines and court action.

She said that the Government “must encourage fathers to share caring roles more fairly, through initiatives such as shared parental leave, and promote schemes for mothers returning to work.

“But this is a task for employers, too: it is not good enough simply to pass the buck,” she added.

Out of more than 10,000 of the UK’s largest companies, fewer than one in seven paid women more than men.

It also found that men are being paid higher bonuses than women – with the finance sector reporting the biggest bonus gap of 35 per cent.