A report published by the Equal Opportunties Commission has found women still suffer a pay bias.

The commission marked International Women's day on Friday with research showing women, including graduates, are still being paid less than their male counterparts.

Julie Mellor, chairman of the commission, said women up to the age of 24 can expect to be paid 15 per cent less than men.

The research also found that the gap between women's and men's average salary gets progressively wider among older graduates.

"If employers want to recruit the brightest and the best in future, they are going to have to be able to prove that they provide equal pay," Mellor said.

"We know employers don't set out to cheat women - most pay discrimination is a hidden problem. That is precisely why employers need to review their pay systems to make sure they are not short-changing women. Women at all levels in the workplace are still losing out because employers aren't taking steps to find out the truth about pay in their organisation."