The gender pay gap : an ambitious fight to reduce inequalities 

By Sanaa Saidi

    While we live in a world where institutions, non-profits, alongside citizens are desperately fighting the different inequalities we are witnessing, a discussion about the gender gap pay is inevitable. We might have the assumption that it is only a reality in developing countries, as a matter of fact, it is a global phenomenon. So what do we exactly mean by gender pay gap? And what are the latest statistics related to this unbalanced reality?

  The gender pay gap is the expression we use to state the difference in terms of earnings between men and women in the workplace. It is the amount that the company gives before taxes and social security deductions. This issue is impacting countries all over the world as well as all different sectors and areas of expertise. Based on a Forbes magazine article, in 2022 women earned 17% less than men on average. Men in legal industries earn up to 59% more than women. The article also highlighted the gender gap in pay based on ethnicity and cultural background.

  It is important to highlight that there are two pay gaps, the first one being the controlled pay gap, which leaves the uncontrolled one second. So the controlled pay gap refers to the gap that is identified between the gross salary of a man and a woman performing the same tasks and holding the same position within the same sector. On the other hand, an uncontrolled pay gap indicates the difference in the pay of those two genders considering all the job titles and industries they perform in. Based on the same Forbes article, the latest statistics have shown that there is an 11% gap between the two genders having the same job title and performing the working hours.

  The gender pay gap has been a global issue for a very long time. In 1963, women earned 41% less than men. With the global reforms around the year 2010, this gap reached 23%. Based on a recent study in 2022 the gap is remaining 17%. Even if we can see an evolution throughout the years, The Institute For Women Policy Research has declared that this gap won’t be fully closed before 2059.

  Reducing inequalities within the workplace, especially when it comes to the salary gap between the genders,  is crucial to ensure equal opportunities as well as an equal retirement plan for women compared to men.