International Equal Pay Day: Commitment to Close the 18–20 Percent Gender Pay Gap
Today, on **September 18**, International Equal Pay Day is being observed. Globally, women earn on average **18 to 20 percent** less than men. This year's observance emphasizes pay transparency, fair wage structures, and protection for digital workers.
Kathmandu — International Equal Pay Day is being observed today, September 18, with the aim of raising awareness about the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
This year's observance places special emphasis on reducing the global gender pay gap and translating commitments into action.
Globally, women earn on average about 18 to 20 percent less than men. The impact is not limited to immediate income but extends to women's lifetime earnings, economic security, retirement benefits, and economic inequality across generations.
To ensure equal pay, the United Nations and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have emphasized the following measures:
- Pay transparency
- Proper valuation of work predominantly done by women
- Fair wage structures
The ILO's new standards have created a basis for additional protection to safeguard workers from artificial intelligence-based decisions, pay opacity, discrimination, and abuse in digital employment, according to a source.
International Equal Pay Day highlights gender equality, women's economic empowerment, and poverty reduction. The United Nations, women's organizations, the International Labour Organization, governments, employers, and workers' organizations have stressed the need to translate commitments into action to ensure equal pay for work of equal value.
The concept of equal pay was recognized as a human right by the International Labour Organization as early as 1919, and the Equal Remuneration Convention was adopted in 1951. The United Nations General Assembly formally declared September 18 as International Equal Pay Day in 2019. The first global observance was held in 2020.