International Equal Pay Day 2025: Reflecting on Wage Gaps and Pushing for Real Reform
Recognized globally every year on 18 September, International Equal Pay Day highlights the ongoing wage gap between men and women. Despite decades of legal standards such as those set by the International Labour Organization (ILO), equal pay remains more of a goal than a reality.
This observance underscores not just unfair salaries, but justice, human rights, and the value of every person’s contribution. The issue extends beyond workplaces—it affects entire economies, health finance, education, and social systems.
Occupational segregation: women are overrepresented in lower-paying sectors such as caregiving and education, while high-paying fields like engineering remain male-dominated.
Career interruptions: caregiving or maternity breaks reduce continuity in work experience.
Discrimination and bias: both overt and unconscious, these impede women’s promotion and compensation.
Negotiation gap: Women are less likely to negotiate salaries due to cultural expectations or fears of backlash.
Informal and part-time work: These roles often lack job security, financial benefits, and fair pay.
Consequences of unequal pay women lose out on lifetime earnings, savings, and retirement funds. Households headed by women face higher poverty risk. On a societal level, wage gaps stunt economic growth, reduce workforce participation, and damage mental health among women.
Some countries have introduced legislation mandating pay transparency and equal pay. But enforcement often remains weak, and transparency is still not universal. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened many inequalities.
Governments must enact and enforce strong laws, require salary disclosures, support parental leave, and promote women’s representation in leadership.
Businesses should conduct pay audits, set objective criteria for pay and promotions, and offer flexible work options.
Individuals and communities can spread awareness, advocate for transparency, negotiate salaries, and challenge stereotypes.
Moving forward requires a mix of legal reform, corporate accountability, cultural change, and educational programs. When fairness becomes embedded in policy and culture, the symbolic value of Equal Pay Day can shift toward celebration: a time when pay equity is a lived reality, not just a promise.
Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.