in the UK, women's salaries, for comparable jobs, are currently 20% less than those of men.
I've been an employer for 33 years.
Do you think there are employers who will pay 20% less to a woman for the same job?
That's been illegal for more or less as long as I've been in business
Any employer trying that one would be before a tribunal within a day of "her" walking out of the door after the job interview.
The reason why women earn less is because women are, statistically very significantly, attracted to more "casual" jobs, which obviously happen to be lower paid. I don't suppose you have kids, but if you did you would understand one of the reasons for this. Another reason for it is that, again statistically significantly, whereas a man tends to aim to have some kind of life-long career, a woman tends to seek life-long financial security in a marriage. Again I don't suppose that applies to you, as a career corporate accountant.
Obviously society is changing but the stats remain.