The global gender pay gap has narrowed by only two percentage points over the past decade, with women still earning 18 per cent less than men on average, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Speaking at an International Equal Pay Day event in Dublin on 21 September, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo called for renewed action to address persistent pay inequalities as technological and economic transformations reshape the world of work.
Houngbo said equal pay for work of equal value is central to advancing gender equality and social justice, noting that higher educational attainment among women has not been enough to eliminate wage disparities. The resulting inequalities can affect women’s economic independence, savings and pension outcomes over time.
“Work of equal value deserves equal remuneration, and equal pay is fundamental to achieve gender equality and social justice,” Houngbo said.
The ILO’s Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), establishes the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The ILO said the principle extends beyond equal pay for people performing the same job, and also challenges how different types of work are valued, including work traditionally performed by women.
Multiple factors continue to widen pay inequalities
According to the ILO, the gender pay gap is reinforced by several interconnected inequalities, including unequal care responsibilities, informal employment, barriers to decent work, entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as discrimination and gender stereotypes.
The organisation also pointed to the green and digital transitions as potential opportunities to advance pay equality as new industries and occupations emerge.
Artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems are increasingly being used in areas including recruitment, job classification, performance assessment and remuneration. Houngbo called for these technologies to be used to identify and address discrimination rather than reproduce existing inequalities.
The ILO also stressed the importance of ensuring women have equal access to opportunities created by technological and economic transformation.
Stronger institutions, social dialogue, collective bargaining and fair and inclusive wage-setting systems will be important to translating equal-pay principles into workplace practices, the organisation said.
Collective action needed on pay equity
The event also highlighted the need for governments, employers, workers and other stakeholders to work together to accelerate progress on equal pay.
Ireland marked its first year as a member of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), an initiative launched in 2017 and led by the ILO, UN Women and the OECD. The coalition has more than 80 members working towards equal pay for work of equal value.
The Dublin event was hosted by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, bringing together representatives from EU member states, employers’ and workers’ organisations, academia and civil society.
Houngbo said closing the gender pay gap requires action now rather than treating equal pay as a future ambition.