International Equal Pay Day is being observed for the first time this September 18 under an initiative by the UN. According to the UN, the day aims to highlight the importance of achieving equal pay for work of equal value.
While, a paycheck may bring a sense of relief or joy, it can also represent inequalities between men and women at the workplace.
According to UN Women Pakistan, “Globally, the gender pay gap stands at 16% meaning women workers earn an average of 84 percent of what men earn. For women of colour, immigrant women, and women with children, the difference is even greater.”
These differences in pay add up and have real, daily negative consequences for women and their families.
Equal pay means that all workers have the right to receive equal payment for work of equal value. While the concept is straightforward, what equal pay actually entails and how it’s applied in practice has proven to be difficult.
Work of equal value can mean a job that is similar, as well as a job that is not the same but is of equal value. This distinction is important because women’s and men’s work sometimes may involve different types of qualifications, skills, responsibilities, or working conditions, yet be of equal value, and, therefore, merit equal pay.
Gender pay gap estimates can vary significantly across regions and even within countries. Higher-income countries tend to have lower levels of wage inequality compared to low and middle-income countries.
