Campaigners around the world have renewed calls for action after data released for the first time in Australia revealed the extent of the gender pay gap at some of the biggest companies.
After legislation was passed in March 2023 to force Australian companies to disclose how much male and female employees are paid, dozens of companies revealed gender pay gaps of more than 50 per cent.
The gap is wider than the national average at some of the country’s top companies, according to the government’s workplace gender equality agency.
Currently, no country in the world has achieved equal pay between men and women.
I OECD statistics were analyzed, comparing pay gaps in 38 countries considered to be the most developed countries in the world. The statistic calculates the difference between the median earnings of men and women, showing how much more men earn than women as a percentage.
According to the latest data from the OECD, the UK has the 12th highest gender pay gap, with men earning 14.5% more than women.
The gap widens as workers age, with men aged 18 to 21 earning 0.8% more than women, but men aged 50 earning 19.7% more, according to UK government statistics for February.
This trend is also reflected in Belgium, where there is no longer a wage gap for young women, but as they age, they begin to earn less than men, according to the Belgian Statistics Office.
Belgium is the country with the closest pay gap between men and women, while South Korea has the largest pay gap between men and women among OECD countries, with men earning 31.2% more than women.
Canada, the Netherlands and Finland all have larger pay gaps than the UK, while France, Germany and the Republic of Ireland all have smaller pay gaps.
Jemima Olchawski, spokesperson for the Fawcett Society for Gender Equality in the UK, said I: “The gender pay gap must be closed and we need urgent and effective action from employers and governments.
“There are many policy interventions that can turn things around, but the simplest of them is making flexible working the default.
“The lack of truly flexible, high-quality jobs traps women into roles below their capabilities and feeds the idea that flexible working is a privilege rather than an essential part of the modern economy.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on X (formerly Twitter): “Women should be paid the same as men. It’s that simple.
“Our government, Australia’s gender pay gap has reached its lowest level on record. But there’s more work to do, which is why we’re taking action to close it.”
according to Analysis from the European UnionAround 24% of the gender pay gap is linked to women being over-represented in relatively low-paid sectors such as care, health and education.
Analysis shows that despite women working more hours per week than men, less than one in 10 CEOs of top companies are women.
According to World Bank data, among economically underdeveloped countries, 65 countries still prevent women from engaging in specific jobs due to industry reasons, while 93 countries do not guarantee equal pay for equal work. Women, Business and the Law 2023 Report.
Antonia Kirkland, global head of legal equality at Equality Now said I: “In many countries, women are barred from equal access to credit and bank accounts and from certain jobs. Legal restrictions on women’s access to equal education and economic participation limit their earning potential, exacerbate the gender wage gap, and weaken their decision-making power.
“Limited paid parental leave, combined with harmful gender stereotypes and undervaluing women’s economic contribution through unpaid care and domestic work, exacerbates the gender pay gap.”
Despite progress in workplaces around the world, some countries continue to implement draconian laws that ingrain discriminatory practices into the fabric of society.
In March 2022, Saudi Arabia enacted legislation forcing women to “submit themselves to their husbands” while also restricting women’s rights to live and travel like men.
Heba Morayev, amnesty international Saudi Arabia’s Personal Status Law fails to “respect women’s agency in making important decisions about their lives and the lives of their children and perpetuates discrimination against them,” the regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said.
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