New figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown a rise in the amount of women in work in the UK, though men still dominate occupations associated with higher pay .

Since 1971, the employment rate for women has risen by 14 per cent, from 53 per cent in 1971 to 67 per cent in 2011, while men have experienced a decline from 92 per cent in 1971 down to 76 per cent in 2011.

However, despite this rise, women with children are less likely to work than their male counterparts and men make up the majority of workers in the top 10 per cent of earners in the UK.

Hayley Parsons, founder and CEO of Newport- based Gocompare.com, said: "It’s great to see a rise in the amount of women in the workplace, especially when you consider the difficult economic climate that we’re living in. In my experience, gender has nothing to do with how talented somebody is at their job. Everybody at Gocompare.com is here because of how hard they work and how good they are at their job; gender isn’t a consideration.

“What is particularly great news is the increased number of mothers at work, both those with and without partners.

"When I decided to leave my job and start Gocompare.com, I was fortunate to have a very supportive family and group of friends.

"However, other people would sometimes question how I could possibly commit the time needed to set up my own business when I had children, or comment on how it would be impossible for me to balance running a successful business and having a family. I like to think I proved those people wrong and showed that women can achieve equally high positions in corporate life as men.

“What I do find disheartening in this ONS report is the figures that show that men still dominate occupations associated with higher levels of pay - I hope to see this change soon as businesses realise that they are the ones missing out on not having some fantastic female minds in executive level jobs due to outdated attitudes.

“It’s clear to see from this research that there is still some way to go before things are as equal as they should be. But hopefully, this trend will continue and we’ll be seeing even more female entrepreneurs and women in the work place, as both the attitudes of businesses and change.”