Women are significantly less likely to have enough saved for their retirement than men, and it's worst among those earning least.
That's according to new figures from Scottish Widows that found most women making £20,000 a year or less are saving an "inadequate" amount towards their life after work.
And while things are better for higher earners - with two-thirds (65%) of those earning £40,000 or more saving enough - there was still a gap to what men are saving.
Jackie Leiper from Scottish Widows said: "We've come a long way, but 15 years later there's still an unacceptable gap between men and women.
"The groups who are often overlooked, such as lower-middle income women, need more support to overcome the challenges they face in saving for the future."
Overall, the report found 57% or women were saving enough, compared with 61% of men.
Gregg McClymont, director of policy at The People’s Pension, said: “These findings are further evidence of a stark and worrying gender pensions gap. With the average female pensioner £7,000 a year worse off than a man the same age , it’s something we cannot and should not ignore."
Many women in the lower earnings bracket face competing demands on their cash from childcare costs and saving for a home.
Property costs tend to swallow up bigger chunks of women's incomes than men's as women's pay is often lower.
For example, average house prices in England are 12 times women's wages on average, compared with eight times the amounts men typically earn, Scottish Widows said.
It said median average rents in England consume 43% of a typical income for a woman, compared with 28% for men.
Some women saw no other option than opting out of their workplace pension to manage their day-to-day cash flow - meaning they would miss out on "free money" into their pension from employer contributions and tax relief.
McClymont said: “To look after their children, women often reduce their working hours or stop working altogether for a period and their rates of pay and potential for progression can be unfairly affected, all of which mean their pension savings take a hit.
"While many women choose to change their working lives because they want to spend more time with their kids, our research is clear that the high cost of childcare is also a key factor.
“We’re calling on the next government to introduce a package of measures to address this inequality."
People were deemed to be saving adequately if the equivalent of at least 12% of their income was going into their retirement pot.
