BBC apologises to senior female journalist for underpaying her

The BBC on Friday said it has apologised to Carrie Gracie, a senior journalist at the centre of a gender pay row, and settled the issue by giving her back pay.

Gracie resigned as BBC China editor in January in a dispute with the British public broadcaster over equal pay.

When she resigned, Gracie said she had been dismayed to find the BBC's two male international editors earned "at least 50 per cent more" than their two female counterparts.

The BBC has now acknowledged she was told she would be paid in line with the North America editor when she took the role, and she accepted the role on that understanding.

"The BBC acknowledges the specific circumstances relating to Carrie's appointment, apologises for underpaying Carrie, and has now put this right. Carrie is donating the full amount received to a charity of her choice," the company said in a statement.

BBC Director general Tony Hall said: "I am pleased that we've been able to move past our differences and work through things together; we can now look to the future."

Gracie said: "I am glad to have been able to resolve this. It shows that we can make progress."

Gracie added that she is "delighted to donate all the backdated pay from the BBC to help women striving for equality at work".

The BBC said it had "reached an agreement to resolve their differences".

At her request, Gracie will now take up to six months of unpaid leave and will take on writing and speaking engagements about both China and gender equality.

Gracie quit because the two editors earned more than her 135,000 pounds-a-year salary. She went back to a job in the newsroom.