On Friday, September 18, the United Nations marked the first International Equal Pay Day, with the aim of drawing attention to the gender pay gap and the systemic inequalities inherent in this matter.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message on the occasion that women’s unequal status at work fuels inequality in other areas of their lives.
“It is less likely that the jobs women hold are coupled with benefits such as health insurance and paid leave. Even when women are entitled to a pension, lower salaries mean fewer payments they make in old age”, Guterres said.
Pointing to the failure of equal pay laws to correct this situation, the Secretary-General called for greater efforts to find solutions. He added, “We have to ask why women are pushed into low-paid work; why are salaries lower in female-dominated occupations, including care sector jobs; why do many women work part-time; they take care of children who often get pay raises; why are women denied work in higher-paying occupations?”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequalities of all kinds, including gender inequality. As we make investments for recovery, we must seize the opportunity to put an end to wage discrimination against women”, the Secretary-General said.
Guterres stressed that “equal pay is not only essential for women, but also for building a world in which everyone enjoys dignity and justice”.
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