The shards of smashed glass ceilings lie all around, with more top jobs for women and a narrower pay gap with men. Yet while much more financial freedom is on offer to women in the 21 ^st century, one key element remains stuck in the past: women’s pensions.

Retired men take home between £50 to £100 per week more in private pension income, on average, than women of the same age, according to the Fawcett Society group that campaigns for equality between the sexes.

Or to paint a sharper picture, the overall ‘gender’ pay gap in pensions is around roughly 43 per cent, research from the TUC shows.

That women should today earn less than men in their old age is in the main down to the small private pension pots that have had little chance to be built up over a working life.

Despite women today earning much more than every generation before them, they’re still paid roughly a fifth less than men even at the higher end of the salary spectrum: and lower wages simply add up to smaller pensions.

Taking a career break to start a family also continues to throw up huge problems – the numbers of women who save for retirement falls by a half when they have a baby, unlike men who carry on working (and saving) when becoming new fathers.

A return after childbirth to part-time work also plays a part. Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that, in their twenties, the average earnings gap between men and women is only around 3 or 4 per cent.

But this widens hugely when people reach their 30s and start families. Many women return to work but decide to opt for a part-time position instead to help better run a family home; two-fifths of women in Britain work part-time, compared with just 11 per cent of men.

Once again, the simple maths is telling: earning less in part-time work translates into a smaller contribution into a pension.

Add in a generally shorter working life since many women retire earlier than their male colleagues, and the scene is set for another generation of lower retirement payouts.

“Relying on a partner for security in retirement is always risky, however, so it’s worth making as much effort to draw up your own plans.”

Unfortunately the very same factors for state pensions all count against women too: fewer years spent working full-time means less National Insurance contributions (NICs) – and a significantly smaller state pension in later life.

Don’t be put off by the gloomy outlook, though: a mix of new rules on both private and state pensions should help redress the imbalance, says Ray Hollis, senior pensions manager at Coutts.

“It’s always been the case, that women have had a raw deal,” he says. “But new pension rules mean that it’s now possible to put up to 100 per cent of your salary – although no more than £225,000 in this financial year – into a pension each year, and make it easier for women to start catching up.”

You can use savings or other assets held elsewhere to take maximum advantage of this key rule change, but there are plenty of other ways – whether married or single - to boost your pension too.

During any career break – whether for a family, to care for a relative or ‘go travelling’ – try to save more either immediately before or afterwards to compensate for your time away from the workplace.

Your best bet is contribute extra to either a company / personal pension or an individual savings account (ISA) - since both benefit from tax relief to bump up the amount saved - but any savings plan, property or other investments can be part of your long-term savings portfolio.

If you’re fortunate enough to already have a final salary company pension scheme, you can also buy ‘extra’ years – by paying extra from your monthly payslip - to boost it even further.

“New pension rules mean that it’s now possible to put up to 100 per cent of your salary… into a pension each year.” Ray Hollis, senior pensions manager, Coutts.

Even if you have one or more of today’s more common company pensions known as ‘defined contribution’ – where you build up a pot of cash and swap it for an annual income or ‘annuity’ in retirement – make sure you don’t just turn to the insurer with whom you’ve been saving over the course of your working life.

By shopping around and checking what you could get from different insurers, you can boost your pension by as much as 20 per cent a year for life.

If you’re married you could also ask your husband to consider a 'joint' annuity when he retires so that you can still receive an income after his death – he’ll get less for his money but at least you’ll be protected.

“If you don’t work or have little income yourself, you could ask your partner to place up to £2,808 into a ‘stakeholder’ pension each year,” adds Hollis; these special low-cost schemes get tax relief to take the sum invested up to £3,600.

Relying on a partner for security in retirement is always risky, however, so it’s worth making as much effort to draw up your own plans. And although they may not be large sums of money, don’t forget changes to the state pension too. Women retiring after April 2010 will need only 30 years' NICs to qualify for a full basic pension – down from 39 years today. However, for any woman born on or after 6 April 1955, the state pension retirement age will rise from 60 to 65.

By Sam Dunn