United Nations (UN)’s International Equal Pay Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 18 September to represent the efforts towards the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value and to eliminate the sexual discrimination against women and girls in employment, as per the UN’s commitment to human rights and against all forms of discrimination.
- Across all regions, women are paid less than men, with the gender pay gap estimated at around 20% globally.
- 18th September 2022 marks the 3rd observance of International Equal Pay Day.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/74/142 on 18 December 2019 and proclaimed the 18th September of every year as the International Equal Pay Day.
- The first-ever International Equal Pay Day was observed on 18th September 2020.
International Equal Pay Day 2022 event:
On the occasion of International Equal Pay Day, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) organised a virtual event at the global level on 18th September 2022 to highlight the pay transparency measures being implemented in different parts of the world.
About Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC):
EPIC is led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Women, and partners.
Goal: to achieve equal pay for women and men everywhere. By bringing together a diverse set of actors with different areas of focus and expertise.
- EPIC supports governments, employers, workers, and their organizations to make concrete and coordinated progress towards this goal.
- It is the only multi-stakeholder partnership working to reduce the gender pay gap at the global, regional and national levels.
Significance:
i.The day provides a global platform for women to raise the issue through various campaigns. International Equal Pay Day also encourages people to join the social cause by identifying strategies for its implementation.
ii.According to data from the UN Women, at the global level, women earn 77cents for every dollar men earn for work of equal value – with an even wider wage gap for women with children. Across the world, women still get paid 23% less than men.
- At this rate, it will take the next 257 years to close the global gender pay gap.
iii.Women carry out at least two and a half times more unpaid household and care work than men.
iv.2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 5: Gender equality and SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, address the need to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
About UN Women:
UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women was created in 2010.
Executive Director- Sima Sami Bahous
Headquarters- New York, United States of America (USA)
