ISLAMABAD: The biggest difference in gender salaries (GPG) globally in Pakistan is, in which women have earned significantly less than men in most sectors. International Labor Organization (IL)
The report, released on Monday, states that the majority of the salary gap in Pakistan is not due to differences in the characteristics of skills, education or labor market, but rather a large scale unknown, which suggests the presence of gender discrimination.
The report highlights that Pakistan’s GPG is higher than many other countries in South Asia.
In Sri Lanka, the GPG based on wages per hour stands on 22 pcs. In Nepal, this is 18pc. In Bangladesh, the salary difference is actually reversed (-5PC), which means women, average, earn slightly higher than men.
In Pakistan, GPG is estimated at 25 pcs when they use hours wages and 30 pcs while considering monthly wages, that is, women earn between Rs 700 and Rs 750 for every Rs 1,000 obtained by men.
Although Pakistan has a high difference in gender salaries, the report says it has decreased over the past years. In 2018, GPG was 33 PC, which indicates gradual improvement.
The report also found that the GPG labor market varies significantly in different sections of the market.
In the formal sector, GPG is close to zero, that is, when employment laws are enforced, wages are almost equal. In informal and domestic sectors, the salary gap exceeds 40pc, which indicates the difference in wages in jobs without regular supervision. In the public sector, this vacuum is relatively low, which suggests that strict labor regulations help reduce wages inequality.
GPG is a measure of inequality between women and men. Most governments have legislated to guarantee the equality of treatment between men and women in compensation. ILO equivalent compensation convention, 1951 (No. 100) is one of the most highly verified conventions.
Dawn, appeared on March 11, 2025
