Pakistan continues to cope with a large gap in sex compensation (GPG), women winning considerably less than men, according to a recent report by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The disparity in wages places Pakistan among countries with the highest GPG in the world, especially in terms of employment rate between men and women.
The report reveals that the GPG of Pakistan is 25% on the basis of time wages, women winning RS750 for each RS1,000 won by men. When you consider monthly wages, the gap increases to around 30%, partly due to women working on average less than hours.
The report underlines that a substantial part of this gap cannot be attributed to differences in factors such as education, age or skills, suggesting potential discrimination on the labor market.
Compared to other South Asian nations, Pakistan GPG remains significantly higher. The GPG of Sri Lanka based on hourly wages is 22%, while Nepal is 18%, and Bangladesh signals a negative difference of -5%.
However, the report notes a slight reduction in Pakistan GPG over the years, the figure that reached 33% in 2018.
The GPG in Pakistan is less pronounced in the formal economy, where it is almost negligible. However, the difference widens considerably in the informal and household sectors, with disparities exceeding 40%.
The report also indicates that respect for labor laws in the formal sector, in particular in the public sector, contributes to reducing the remuneration gap.
Despite international conventions such as the ILO’s equality of equality (1951), which calls for equal salary for equal work, the gap of the sexes persists, highlighting continuous inequalities between men and women on the labor market.
