Equalities minister Jo Swinson’s announcement that UK companies will be forced to report how many women they employ should be welcomed. Transparency will highlight companies' track records on attracting and/or retaining female talent – and it can't be ignored if it has to be reported.

Many people assume that sexism is ancient history and not prevalent in the modern workplace. But this is just not the case. Women are routinely paid less than men - 15% less on average nationally and 23% less in London. And although girls routinely outperform boys at school, and women secure about half of graduate jobs at entry level, further up the food chain it all falls apart, only three of the chief executives of FTSE 100 companies are female, only 22% of UK judges are female, and men outnumber women five-to-one in Cabinet.