More than half, or 57%, of female professionals in the UK have never attempted to negotiate a pay rise, according to a new report from Robert Walters in cooperation with TotalJobs.

The report, which surveyed more than 9,000 professionals across the UK, also found that men are 23% more likely to negotiate a pay rise across all stages of their career.

Robert Walters’ report also showed that the top three challenges to progression for women were lack of opportunities (41%), balancing work and family (35%) and lack of training (34%).

Meanwhile, 54% of women were found to be unsatisfied with their pay while 21% said they want clearer routes to progression.

In April 2017, the government made it mandatory for large organisations (over 250 employees) to report on their gender pay gap – the average difference between the salary of male and female employees.

The most recent gender pay data showed that nearly eight in 10 firms (78%) with over 250 employees have a pay gap in favour of men, while 8% of companies reported no pay gap at all. Men are over-represented in higher paid jobs, while the proportion of women falls the further up the pay scale you go.

Robert Walters found that among the sectors with the least equal representation were engineering (9% females), logistics (18%), and technology (21%).

The report called on employers to do more to encourage more females into their sectors. Furthermore, it called on supportive management and clearer routes to progression, offering wider training opportunities and supporting work-life balance.