Ahmed said after the case that she was happy with the verdict. “No woman wants to stand up against her employer in this way. I enjoy working for the BBC, and I am glad it has been resolved,” the journalist said.
Previous criticism
It is not the first time that the BBC is slapped on the finger for wage discrimination. In 2017 it was forced to provide insight into its top salaries. The list published at the time showed that of the 96 best-earning employees in the broadcaster, only a third were women. The top seven best-paid positions were all filled by men.
That list came to the broadcaster’s criticism of then-Prime Minister Theresa May. A number of well-known female BBC presenters were also critical. The journalists wrote in an open letter to the BBC director: “You said you want to have the pay gap solved by 2020, but we have known for years that this inequality is there. Something has to be done now.”
Ahmed also received support. One hundred women working at the BBC had joined Ahmed’s trial, British media wrote in November.
Pride
She also received support from a former employee of the broadcaster. In 2018, Carrie Gracie resigned as a China correspondent. Gracie blamed the broadcaster for an “illegal” method of payment. Following her allegations of wage inequality at the BBC, an equal rights commission in the United Kingdom started an investigation.
On Friday, Gracie congratulated Ahmed via Twitter: “I could not have been more proud of you. I hope your victory gives women worldwide the courage to stand up for what their work is worth.”
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