Mary Ann Sieghart

Mary Ann Sieghart is a British journalist, broadcaster, and writer with a long career in political and social commentary, including many years as a columnist and assistant editor at The Times and as a presenter on BBC Radio 4. Her work has consistently focused on politics, society, and questions of fairness and representation in public life.

Her book The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It draws on interviews, surveys, and research to examine the persistent gap in how seriously men's and women's opinions, expertise, and authority are treated — in workplaces, media, politics, and everyday interactions. The book combines personal testimony from prominent women with data analysis to argue that this 'authority gap' is real, measurable, and addressable through specific changes in behavior and institutions.

Sieghart's writing and broadcasting continue to engage with questions of gender, power, and public discourse, contributing to ongoing conversations about equality in professional and civic life.