International Women’s Day, on 8 March 2026, celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world.

This year’s theme is “Give to Gain” – an ideal opportunity to highlight the persistent gender pension gap and how businesses can support and educate employees to help narrow it.

Mind the gap!

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions suggest that women typically have 75% less in their pensions than men. 

While men aged between 55 and 59 hold an average of £75,000 in defined contribution pension pots, women in the same age bracket have just £19,000. [1]
 
As you’ll likely have seen in your business, women are more likely to:

• Take career breaks to have children and raise their families
• Do part-time work due to caring responsibilities
• Hold fewer managerial roles
• Work in lower-paid positions.

One or more of these factors could lead women to make lower pension contributions throughout their working lives.

Even short pauses in pension saving can affect retirement outcomes, particularly where a workplace pension is a person’s main source of income later in life.

Read more: International Women’s Day: Why Women’s Financial Confidence Matters More Than Ever 

3 practical steps your employees could take to narrow the gap in their pension savings

1. Boost your contributions and make the most of tax relief

If you know you have a gap in your pension savings, the sooner you act, the better.
 
Start by reviewing how much you’re currently contributing. Thanks to compounding, even a small increase could have a significant long-term impact. 

If your employer is willing to increase their contribution, this could help boost your pot even more – it’s worth a conversation.
 
You may also benefit from reviewing your investment strategy and charges.

Remember, pension contributions benefit from tax relief. For basic-rate taxpayers, a £100 contribution effectively costs £80, while higher- and additional-rate taxpayers can reduce the real cost even further by claiming the extra relief through Self Assessment.

2. Make your finances a family affair

If you’re in a long-term relationship, take time to sit down and discuss pension savings with your partner.

It’s possible for others to make third-party contributions to your pension. So, if your partner continues to earn while you’re taking time off to care for your children, they could either:

• Make payments to both their own pension pot and yours
• Divide what they’d usually pay into their own pot and split it between their pot and yours.

Make sure you’re involved in managing your finances and understand all the implications of your decisions – now and in the future. 

Read more: Why talking about money could strengthen your relationship

3. Check your National Insurance contributions

To get the full State Pension when you retire, you need 35 years of National Insurance contributions (NICs) or credits.

If you take time off to care for a child, you can get National Insurance credits, but this only applies if you claim Child Benefit.

If you think you may have gaps in your NICs history, check your record on the government website. Should you have gaps, you may be able to pay to fill them now. 

Knowing if this is the right option for you may not be straightforward, so if in doubt, please get in touch and we can help you understand all the implications.

Empower your employees with financial and retirement education
 
Your workplace pension is one of the most important employee benefits you can offer. Investing in a competitive workplace pension scheme could help you create a loyal, motivated workforce.

To find out more about how you can support employees who may be at risk of falling through the gender pension gap, or to discover ways you could boost employee wellbeing, please get in touch.
 
Email [email protected] or call us on 0800 048 0150.

Please note
The information contained in this article is based on the opinion of Titan Wealth Planning and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation for any investment or retirement strategy.
Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts. 
Workplace pensions are regulated by The Pensions Regulator.